Solid state battery wars heat up: MG's parent company announces second-generation solid state battery to start production in 2026 before first-generation even goes on sale

MG’s parent company, SAIC Motor, has announced its second-generation solid state battery is in the works and on track for mass production in 2026, despite the first-generation semi-solid state battery it recently announced not yet being on sale.

Due for release before the end of this year in the Chinese domestic market, SAIC’s first-generation ‘Lightyear’ semi-solid state battery will debut on the IM L6 electric sedan. The 130kWh pack is alleged to grant the L6 a cruising range of around 1000km on the more lenient CLTC testing protocol.

It has a 400kW peak DC charging speed, allowing 400km of range to be added in 12 minutes according to the brand. The not-quite solid state unit compares well to the other batteries in the range, which continue to use the more widespread NMC chemistry, but it won’t be cheap. IM is targeting a starting price of around the equivalent of AU$70,000 in China.

The new battery, which SAIC announced at the Automotive Quality Technology Conference in China, is the second-generation battery developed with its partner QingTao Energy Development (as opposed to the world’s largest battery manufacturer CATL, with which it also works). This time it will have no liquid components and will therefore be a true solid state battery. It is claimed to be slated for mass production as early as 2026.

SAIC is claiming this battery will have an energy density in excess of 400Wh/kg (much higher than current production batteries), and claimed superior safety even at the highest operating temperatures. The brand is also claiming the new cells will retain 90 per cent capacity in low-temperature conditions (generally a limiting factor for solid-state batteries, which need much higher operating temperatures than their liquid counterparts).

Solid state battery technology is sought after as the next big development for electric vehicles. Swapping the liquid electrolyte out leads to many benefits over current technology, including a reduction in the physical size and weight of batteries due to higher density, a longer useful life cycle, and a big jump in safety as corrosive or flammable liquids cannot leak out of them in the event of a puncture.

Technical issues (getting the battery to remain at a higher operating temperature) as well as high material costs, and issues overcoming dendrite formation (protrusions that cross between the anode and cathode) pose questions for long-term reliability.

Chinese automakers have set 2026 as the battleground for their competing solid state technologies. Chery recently announced it will begin limited production of its upcoming ‘Kunpeng’ solid state battery the same year, which should debut on a version of the Fengyun Leifeng concept car shown at the Guanzhou motor show. GAC has also announced a solid state battery for its high-end vehicles for the same year.

Will Australia see these developments? It seems inevitable. MG recently confirmed it is planning for some version of the IM L6 to make it to Australia, although the local division is working on an MG-badged version to launch in the local market to avoid confusing buyers with a slew of sub-brands.

“I'm still negotiating with Shanghai. Yeah, because the SAIC Motors group is huge and every brand is independent in China.” MG’s local CEO, Peter Ciao, told CarsGuide earlier this year.

“The models are coming, 100 per cent.”

In addition to these developments, MG’s SAIC parent company announced the 2026 second-generation solid state battery as part of a raft of ‘second-generation’ electrified technology platforms, to succeed the technology which currently underpins cars like the MG4.

This not only included a plan for the second-generation solid state batteries, but also new chassis technology and driver assistance systems.

SAIC said it would introduce the next generation of its ‘Nebula’ platform with more fly-by-wire systems to improve responsiveness and stability, alongside a new ‘Everest’ platform for combustion vehicles designed to be compliant with Euro 7 emissions regulations.

It also announced a next-generation ‘Blue Core’ hybrid drive system to succeed the current system in the MG3, ZS, and HS hybrids, with 10 per cent better efficiency, as well as a new ‘Green Core’ electric drive system which is lighter and more power dense than its current motors.

Finally, to tie its vehicles together, SAIC said it will also launch a new set of computer hardware for its upcoming products, and software to support Level 3 driving autonomy.