BYD News

Charging infrastructure is proving to be one major new battleground for Chinese carmakers.Segmentation of the car market in China is continuing to grow with increasingly diverse choices for buyers.Battery technology has been one of the most recent rivalries, with brands such as Chery and BYD boasting of solid-state development, quoting bigger and better driving range figures.It now appears charging infrastructure will be the latest area to experience intense competition.Tesla dominates the charging scene in China, with more than 11,000 public fast charging stations in the country.BYD has taken some steps towards breaking this Tesla hold, increasing its investment in the infrastructure substantially. It has begun rolling out its megawatt ‘Flash’ charging system, which has a peak output of 1360kW.According to the brand, the system can add roughly 400km of range in 5 minutes or charge at a speed of two kilometres every second. The system has a ‘T’-shape design, which differs from other fast charging systems as the plug outputs are mounted from the top of the structure rather than the side.The brand integrates existing charging infrastructure through partnerships, which has worked to speed up charging expansion. BYD has ambitions to install 20,000 megawatt-level flash charging stations by the end of 2026.In Australia, BYD is already plotting to introduce some form of megawatt charging according to comments recently made by the local boss of Denza, Mark Harland, by the end of 2027.Whether that is the first-generation or recently-unveiled 1300kW version. Aside from Tesla, BYD faces competition from the likes of Nio and CATL overseas, with the pair developing battery swap networks in China. This system rethinks the charging infrastructure problem by utilising a fully-robotic process to swap a depleted battery for a fully-charged one.It speeds up the battery replenishing process exponentially, with Nio stations swapping in just a handful of minutes.While this is faster than charging, these set-ups are much more expensive to install and maintain than chargers. In comparison to BYD’s lofty charger ambitions, Nio has less than 4000 swap stations, and took four years to install 1000 of them.

Cold water has just been poured over the immediate future of solid-state car battery technology.Solid-state batteries have been spoken about as the silver bullet to range anxiety on electric cars, offering more than 1000km of driving on a single charge.It was thought that solid-state technology might be just around the corner, with brands moving closer to commercialisation, but it now looks like it may be further off than first anticipated.Chinese Academy of Sciences Professor at Tsinghua University Ouyang Minggao said solid-state batteries may require up to 10 years to reach one per cent market share.Minggao had previously estimated an earlier adoption time for the technology, but has now cautioned the potential for an imminent arrival.This lines up with comments from some major manufacturers, such as United States based General Motors (GM).“Solid state is still years away,” GM Vice President - Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability Kurt Kelty said.There are also now questions about the safety of these batteries, with Minggao stating they are not “absolutely safe” as fine tuning continues. Increased safety of solid-state was one of the key advantages over other conventional batteries.Next year is a big year for solid-state, particularly in China, with several manufacturers introducing prototypes.Chery has been making the most noise about solid-state batteries, and has already announced two models to feature the technology.In addition to the Exeed ES8 is scheduled for a 2026 launch, the brand’s Exeed Liefeng will be introduced in 2027. It will come with a Rhino S battery which is targeting an energy density of 600Wh per kilogram, taking driving range to 1500km.BYD will begin small-batch production of its solid-state batteries next year, but it has not confirmed if any cars will be fitted with the battery.Geely is another Chinese brand pursuing solid-state, with its first in-house solid-state battery concept to debut this year.

The demise of the diesel ute is approaching.The walls are closing in on the conventional ute as diesel fuel prices soar and the federal government's National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) starts to bite, signalling the days of the diesel ute might be numbered.The ute is the last refuge for diesel engines in the Australian car industry, with most brands already shifting to petrol, hybrid and electric in other segments.Electrified utes have been gathering momentum in recent years as they look to take the place of traditional diesel power.Here is a list of those which could take diesel's ute crown.BYD Shark 6 PHEVThe Shark 6 has already proven its threat to the diesel ute since it went on sale in late 2024, seeing surging sales.Its sharp price tag at $57,900 (before on-road costs) makes it a cheaper option as a plug-in hybrid ute, and it is competitive with some diesel utes.The Shark 6 uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid set-up, meaning it is far cheaper to run than its diesel rivals (so long as you keep the battery charged).It also packs 321kW and 650Nm, despite modest towing and carrying capacity.It has made a solid impression in its time in Australia, being BYD’s best-selling car in 2025 - form it has carried into this year.Chery KP31 diesel PHEVAustralia will be one of the first markets to see the KP31 when it launches Down Under this year.Technically, the codenamed KP31 is still a diesel, but it does come with plug-in hybrid assistance, and there is a petrol plug-in coming in 2027.Diesel adds a different flavour to the PHEV game in Australia, with it overcoming the lugging and carrying limitations of petrol PHEV models such as the Shark 6.While there is no official news on the power output of the 2.5-litre turbo-charged engine and electric motor, Chery has confirmed it will have a 3500kg braked towing capacity and a 1000kg payload.There will also be multiple locking differentials for rugged off-road ability, which is something missing from the Shark 6.GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and GWM Cannon PHEVGWM will be the only brand to have two plug-in hybrid utes on sale in Australia by the end of this year.It already has the Cannon Alpha PHEV on sale, with a starting price of $61,490 drive-away. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol set-up produces 300kW and 750Nm.The smaller Cannon PHEV recently revealed in China is not too far away, and will offer the brand a cheaper alternative to the larger and more premium Alpha.While the Cannon PHEV keeps a 3500kg towing capacity, its 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and electric motor only produces 185kW.Ford Ranger PHEVThe best-selling Ford Ranger received a plug-in variant in the middle of 2025 in Australia, and starts from $71,990 (before on-road costs).The 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid set-up pumps out 207kW and 697Nm, with maximum payload of 973kg depending on the variant. It has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.Its hefty comparative price tag means diesel sales still far outweigh their electrified sibling.KGM Musso EVThe KGM Musso EV is one of the only new electric utes on sale in Australia, with a drive-away price of $60,000.It comes in two-wheel and all-wheel drive variants, producing up to 266kW and 630Nm.Its 81kWh battery offers a maximum all-electric driving range of 380km, with 10-80 per cent fast charging taking 36 minutes.It only comes with a payload of 905kg and a braked towing capacity of 1800kg.Toyota HiLux BEVAn electric version of the HiLux is a highly-anticipated new model of Toyota’s lineup, with potential to build on the success of the diesel HiLux in a new electrified era.Initial numbers don't paint a pretty picture. It has a provisional 2000kg braked towing capacity, less than the 3500kg on diesel alternatives, including the HiLux. It also only has a payload of 715kg.The other potential drawback on the electric HiLux is that it has a driving range of just 240km from its 59kWh battery, according to WLTP testing.Expect to see the HiLux BEV in Australia soon.MG U9 EVThe U9 electric ute has just been approved for sale in Australia and will hit showrooms in the near future.It comes with a total system output of 325kW from a dual motor set-up and offers 430km of driving range (WLTP), from its 102kWh battery.It also has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg, so it will be in line with its key diesel rivals.Nissan Frontier Pro PHEVThe Frontier Pro is Nissan’s first plug-in hybrid and like many on this list is built in China, and there is strong potential for it to soon be available in Australia.It has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and electric motor, producing 300kW and 800Nm, and is also expected to have a 3500kg braked towing capacity.

Chinese electric superstar brand BYD experienced a sales slump in 2025 and there’s no sign of it stopping in 2026.So, does this mean the carmaker that rose to popularity with such spectacular speed will come hurtling back down again? Not at all.It might seem a little delayed but the final 2025 financial figures are in for planet Earth and BYD has reported a net profit that’s down by 19 per cent compared to 2024. The naysayers are out in force calling it the beginning of the end for the relatively new electric brand, which shot to success so quickly.  For Australians, BYD seemingly appeared out of nowhere in 2022 with the Atto 3 small SUV with the words Build Your Dreams emblazoned across its tailgate. At the time Tesla was the king of EVs, with the Model 3 being bought in such large numbers even locally that for the first time in 28 years the Toyota Camry was knocked off its best-selling-sedan throne. A decade earlier back in 2011 Tesla owner Elon Musk reportedly laughed at the mere suggestion that BYD, the small company that had gone from battery manufacturer to car maker, could possibly ever be a threat. Then in 2024 BYD was crowned the world largest electric car maker, toppling Tesla.BYD’s total number of cars sold for 2024 was 4.27 million, of which 1.77 million were pure EVs beating Tesla by only 4000 units. But a win is a win. The big sales saw BYD rake in A$164b in revenue for 2024, which once the bills were paid resulted in a net profit of $8.5b.Now the 2025 results are in and net profit is $6.9b this time. There’s your 19 per cent drop on 2024. So yes sure, net profit is down, and looking at that bottom line alone might suggest things are going backwards for the brand, but the actual total number of EVs sold by BYD globally was 2.25 million. That’s a 27.9 per cent increase on 2024.BYD’s revenue for 2025 was $168.6b, so up 3.5 per cent on 2024. While not a huge increase it is a slow down and that can be attributed mainly to competition from competitors in China.Geely is BYD’s biggest nightmare.BYD has been lightning fast to develop, produce and bring an array of new models to market, but Geely has the power that comes with the colossal size and resources of a company with many subsidiaries. Much like Volkswagen, giant Geely can draw on a number of its brands from Polestar to Zeekr, and even Geely itself, to take on the smaller BYD.To say that China’s car market is competitive is an understatement. So fierce is the price war between brands in China that the government had to release a statement warning car makers that the low offers and incentives being made to entice buyers weren’t sustainable.  Just to drive home how seriously close the entire market is flirting with disaster, at the start of this year eight percent of dealerships in China were found to sell vehicles 26 per cent under the whole sale price on average. BYD is understood to engage in such practices along with other brands to increase their market share. The government is clamping down on the practices and it's believed the market is now correcting itself.Domination of the local Chinese market vital for BYD, but it knows true success is also being a big player around the world, with the brand stating it hopes to be within the top 3 car brands for Australia in 2026. There are signs it could be well on the way to achieving that goal with BYD selling 5001 cars in January and 5323 in February in Australia, which has it in sixth place of overall sales this year.Globally, however, the first two months have shown a decline in BYD’s sales. In March Reuters reported BYD’s sales had fallen 41 per cent in February compared to the same time in 2025. This could be a result of the Chinese market and the correction taking place.So, it’s far from all over for BYD, the brand is well on the way to establishing itself in Australia and given the sky rocketing fuel prices due to the war in Iran, it's in an excellent position to grow further with alternatives to pure combustion powered vehicles. 

Will the current war in Iran mean a ban on petrol and diesel vehicles? My view is no, it won’t directly cause a ban on combustion cars. But the ban is still coming and the Middle East conflict will fastrack it. For starters a date has already been set for ban on petrol and diesel cars in the United Kingdom, where from 2030 sales of new vehicles with combustion engines will cease. The European Union has a 2035 ban but previous to the Iran war this was watered down.China, which in February was our main source of vehicles, is also focused on building and developing electric cars.As for Australia, only the ACT has set a goal of phasing out the sale of new combustion powered cars by 2035.That could all change now and by this I mean be fastracked.Until now the reasons for switching to electric vehicles were mainly ethical and environmental, with emissions and cleaner air being the carrot. The problem is nobody really  wants to eat a carrot, even if it’s good for us. But faced with the prospect of not eating at all because the weekly fuel bill for two cars is now $300 and the price of groceries is going up because of the soaring cost of transport, that really changes things.Interest in electric vehicles has never been this strong. We can see it in real time by the traffic coming to carsguide.com.au and we know our competitors are witnessing the sharpening of this focus on EVs, too.Towards the start of 2025 there had been a slow down in global interest in EVs and a renewed take up of hybrids. The price premiums attached to electric cars, the limited driving range and lengthy charging times were to blame, but all things early adopters, and even slightly later ones, were willing to endure. The rest of the car buyers were too put off by the downsides of EVs and stuck with the convenience and familiarity of petrol or perhaps bought a hybrid. But now the price of convenience appears to be reaching a point where suddenly an EV sounds like a good idea. At the time of writing 95 RON premium unleaded was $2.70 per litre. An increase of about $1 per litre or 60 per cent in the space of a month. The prohibitive cost now of petrol combined with the looming threat of Australia running out of it in less than three weeks, plus reports of servicing stations already running dry now make an electric car suddenly seem like not such a bad idea after all, even to the most hardcore fans of fossil fuels.The problem is bigger than just consumers not being able to afford petrol, it’s the soaring cost of goods, which are distributed through Australia’s enormous freight network that relies on diesel.The Australian government is responsible for setting such low minimum fuel reserves all in the name of a free market. The current situation could see it either mandate that the industry maintain a higher level or reduce the risk entirely of being held hostage like this again and ban petrol and diesel car sales in favour of electric ones, which can be powered by a fuel we can produce ourselves.The second option wouldn’t be the choice of the $6 trillion-a-year global oil and gas industry. And an industry that’s worth that much has enormous sway.But then the collapse of entire economies wouldn’t be the choice of most governments.Decoupling from oil and gas is impossible in less than 50 or even 100 years. Whether we like it or not the industry pervades every part of our lives. Killing the industry would also see the collapse of entire economies.Plenty of car companies are ready for electric vehicles, especially new Chinese brands, but for many vehicle manufacturers EVs are a side hustle.This scenario play into the hands of new electric brands such as Zeekr with the 7X mid-szied SUV, BYD with the Sealion 7 SUV and even the established Koreans such as Kia with the EV3 small SUV.Does it mean the end of diesel SUVs such as the LandCruiser? Possibly, unless Toyota has an electric version up its sleeve ready to be pulled out in the next 10 years.So what you'll probably see is the EU and UK setting new firm deadlines for the discontinuation of sales for new cars with combustion engines at about 2035 or sooner. Australia will likely follow suit.Industry, freight and agriculture will be exempt until hydrogen infrastructure is in place and that will take much longer.What we may see in the short term is a temporary ban on the use of petrol and diesel passenger cars in order to preserve fuel stock for industry, freight and vital services such as emergency vehicles. That’s a real possibility if the war moves into an uncontrolled phase.So while the permanent ban of new petrol and diesel cars won’t be directly caused by the Iran war, it will be a catalyst for the ban. In the meantime, it’s probably wise anyway to purchase an EV anyway and provide a bit of security and future proofing for your own household, not to mention saving thousands in fuel bills each year.

BYD has revealed a new electric vehicle (EV) that’s capable of flash charging at a rapid rate.The 2026 BYD Song Ultra EV, an electric mid-size SUV, comes with the Chinese maker’s second-generation lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery and is capable of charging from 10 to 97 per cent in nine minutes.Four trim levels of the Song Ultra EV have been detailed for now. There are two electric motor and battery configurations.Entry-level versions come with a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 240kW of power and 305Nm of torque. This is fed by a 68.4kWh battery pack, allowing for a claimed range of 620km, according to relatively lenient CLTC testing.Higher models feature a slightly more powerful rear-mounted electric motor that produces 270kW. They also get a larger 82.7kWh battery pack allowing for a CLTC-claimed range of 710km.In terms of design, the Song Ultra EV has elements reminiscent of a number of other BYD models. There’s minimal front fascia with a full-width light bar, a clean side profile with flush door handles as well as a full-width light bar at the rear.Standard equipment includes adaptive dampers across the line-up, as well as a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 15.6-inch central touchscreen multimedia system, head-up display, interior ambient lighting, fridge/hotbox, plus heated and ventilated front seats.On the safety front there are seven airbags, as well as an optional package that adds Lidar and 27 sensors enabling semi-autonomous driving functionality in city and highway scenarios.At this stage it’s unclear whether the mid-size Song Ultra EV will come to Australia. BYD’s electric SUV line-up currently consists of the small Atto 2 and Atto 3, as well as the mid-size Sealion 7.If it does come here it will go up against rivals like the Kia EV5, Tesla Model Y, XPeng G6 and Zeekr 7X among others.Although BYD sales in China have been faltering over the past few months, they have been accelerating in Australia.In the first two months of 2026, the Chinese carmaker sold a total of 10,324 vehicles, which is up 161.0 per cent year-on-year.Its best-seller currently is the Sealion 7 electric SUV (2498 sales), followed closely by the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute (2166 sales).

BYD is facing backlash in its home market of China over its semi-autonomous driver-assistance system.The system, called God’s Eye by BYD, is touted as self-driving in the same way Tesla advertises Full Self Driving (FSD), but anecdotal evidence suggests the system is similarly not yet up to scratch for widespread use on public roads.A report by Bloomberg has outlined complaints from both high-profile and a slew of other customers of BYD who have experienced recurring malfunctions in their cars.There are three variants of God’s Eye, one using cameras and radars, one adding LiDAR to the equation, and another with a full array of sensors.In one of BYD’s luxury brand’s flagships, the Yangwang U8 SUV, a Chinese “entrepreneur” reported “the vehicle suddenly accelerating to 93 kilometers per hour” in a 60 zone, or “abruptly jerking into an adjacent lane”.The Yangwang U8 costs the equivalent of A$230,000 in China, though buyers of many BYD models are reporting similar issues on Chinese social media site Xiaohongshu.The Bloomberg report lists “steering flaws, navigational screen malfunctions and delays in features such as memory navigation in urban roads” as complaints made by buyers of BYD’s mass-market models.It’s not the only assisted-driving or semi-autonomous driving technology under scrutiny, given Tesla’s FSD is involved in numerous crash investigations, and there have even been incidents involving Ford’s similar BlueCruise system.It’s not yet clear if BYD plans to implement God’s Eye tech in Australia, but CarsGuide has contacted the brand’s local arm for comment.

Diesel utes have been the dominant forces in Australia for the past decade, but that could be about to change.The Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux have been the top two sellers in the past 10 years, and they combined for more than 100,000 sales in 2025.The pair have carried on this popularity into 2026, sitting at the top for January and February this year. Other diesel ute rivals such as the Isuzu Ute D-Max and Mitsubishi Triton are selling well. That could be all be about to change sooner than we thought. It could be the case that a perfect storm of external factors will wipe out the diesel in ute in Australia.There is a new factor is emerging that could accelerate the diesel ute’s seemingly inevitable decline. The price of diesel fuel has increased substantially more than petrol, approaching the $3 mark per litre.I went to fill up my diesel car the other day.As I pulled into the service station, a man had just finished filling up his V8 diesel LandCruiser 200 Series. $287 for 99L - he had not even brimmed the tank. You’d get a better rate when topping up your light aircraft with aviation fuel. He asked if I wanted to swap. I politely declined.No doubt big fleet buyers will be watching closely as the costs of purchasing and running these diesel utes shoots up, along with the potential increase in costs as NVES pressures creep in. Fleet sales are crucial to the success of the Ford Ranger and the Toyota HiLux, with them also contributing heavily to other ute brands.Fuel prices will also be an increasingly big head turner for private buyers. Alternatives such as the petrol plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6 offer superior fuel efficiency when charged as well as being cheaper to fill up.Toyota announced its all-electric HiLux ute recently, which has been met with a mixed reception due to concerns over driving range and towing capacity, but it at least shows brands are already looking away from diesel. Chery’s incoming KP31 ute will debut in Australia this year with a diesel plug-in hybrid set-up, which is expected to have the 3500kg towing capacity. Something the Shark 6 currently lacks.The popularity of diesel hybrid set-ups will be an indication of the survival chances for the diesel ute in Australia. It could be argued the longer diesel prices continue to rise, the shorter the diesel ute's lifespan will be.Compounding this is new emissions laws.The Federal Government's National Vehicle Emissions Standard (NVES) delivered a rude awakening for some. The NVES sets emissions targets based on CO2 gram-per-kilometre limits. Vehicles sold that fall over the limit subsequently incur liabilities, which will attract hefty fines in the future for brands. Brands incur fines on vehicles sold, which have an interim emissions value of more than zero. Mazda, which sells its BT-50 ute in Australia among an internal combustion heavy lineup, accumulated a whopping more than 500,000 liabilities. Subsequently many brands, including Honda and Mazda have introduced priced increases across key internal combustion models this year.There appears to be two routes for brands. Either pass on the extra costs, or ditch diesel. Diesel utes could be about to skyrocket in price and brands scramble to account for fines on sales.In a more extreme example, Ford CEO Jim Farley recently threatened to axe the brand’s local engineering program responsible for the best-selling Ford Ranger.“Something your government, or any government, has to be very sensitive to around the CO2 glide path. We want to reduce our CO2 footprint, but there’s a level that the customer can’t afford, and not all duty cycles can be electrified,” Farley told CarsGuide.“It’s a completely open market and also pushing CO2 , arguably way beyond the customer requirements.“ needs to decide if they want to help us equalise the cost differential … because this is among the most expensive places to have engineers on the planet.”We have already seen somewhat of a winding back of Ford’s Ranger line-up Down Under, with the brand discontinuing sale of its bi-turbo diesel engine, in favour of a cleaner single turbo variant.

It’s been a minute since the only cars we would regularly see wearing a strip of blue and white Sillitoe tartan down the side were the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and sometimes Toyota Camry.The world of police cars and vehicles has broadened — Ford Rangers, Hyundai Santa Fes, Volkswagen Passats, the list goes on. All must be practical, of course, and for different purposes.But there are new things to consider now, like hybrids and EVs, new ute options and of course which cars will be the PR show cars, the ones that don’t really have to work too hard. Here are five suggestions from across the spectrum.BYD Shark 6Something about a ute in white with police decals and a bullbar on the front just works. Our digital artist Thanos Pappas has rendered the Shark 6 as a police car both in the red dirt of rural Australia, and in the Sydney CBD.Australia and its vastly different environments could be the perfect place to see if the innovative BYD Shark 6 has what it takes to ‘keep the streets safe’ as it were.While its electric ability would make it ideal for city and suburban patrols, its petrol power means range anxiety on longer routes isn’t a concern.The big question surrounds its ability to off-road - CarsGuide’s off-road guru Marcus Craft deemed it suitable for “light to moderate off-roading” only, though we’re not sure how many police chases end up requiring rock-crawls and hill-climbs.Still, it looks good in the livery, and isn’t that the most important thing about policing? Right? Isn’t it?Kia TasmanPerhaps a little closer to reality is the idea of a Kia Tasman police car. Not only is there already a strong relationship between Kia (and Hyundai) and many police services around the country but there’s even a mock-up Tasman cop car already.During 2025 there was even a period that around Australia “multiple jurisdictions considering and are interested” in using the Tasman for policing.Whether that comes to fruition is yet to be seen - a lot of testing has to be done before a car is deemed suitable for police work, perhaps one reason a couple of other cars on this list may fall short in certain areas.Ford MustangThe Mustang is one such car that might have a couple of downsides - the inability to to detain someone safely being one - but police have often had high-powered highway patrol cars or community engagement vehicles that aren’t really built for your everyday patrols.It wouldn’t be the first time this has come up - about ten years ago the NSW Police Force was considering a Mustang GT for highway patrol, but the previous generation car was struggling with some overheating issues under hard testing.The Ford Mustang seems like a good choice given it’s an easy design to admire, it’s actually a very capable sports car, and it’s got a link to the former FPV patrol cars in the form of its Coyote 5.0-litre engine, on which FPV’s Miami V8 was based.Toyota RAV4This might seem like a boring, obvious answer, but the incoming Toyota RAV4 would make a really sensible car for Australian police.The hybrid of it all, not to mention Toyota’s long history of supplying police cars and its reputation for reliability.That and if the current RAV4 is anything to go by, the new one should be a fairly capable and easy-to-use thing.Genesis G70Victoria Police announced in 2017 it would add dozens of BMW 5 Series highway patrol cars to its fleet, so why not a similar rear-drive sports sedan from the sibling brand to Hyundai, models from which police have been using for some time now.A 3.3-litre twin-turbo engine with 274kW and 510Nm, plus some decent handling and dynamics alongside a design I reckon would suit the blue and white (and yellow in highway patrol form).

Major Chinese carmaker GWM will invest more money into its solid-state battery program over the coming years to better challenge BYD and Chery.Solid-state batteries offer the potential to wipe out fears over range anxiety with a solid internals enabling greater energy density than liquid units in conventional batteries. It could ensure cars with a driving range of over 1000km become the norm across electric models. There are also potential benefits in relation to safety and efficiency, making them an attractive proposition for carmakers.According to a post from GWM's outspoken Chairman Jack Wei on Chinese social media, solid-state batteries face multiple challenges, such as cost efficiency, safety and performance. Wei played off the chances of seeing solid-state batteries in the next couple of years, with it more likely to be into the next decade. This is despite it being announced at the brand's 2024 annual general meeting it was able to begin making small capacity solid-state batteries.GWM is not giving up on the viability of solid-state batteries for commercial output, with the brand pumping more money into the project to make progress on research and development. Wei said GWM’s solid-state battery developments would take at least five more years before being available for commercial use. This means we will not see a production-ready solid-state unit from the brand until after 2030.GWM battery tech subsidiary Svolt unveiled a solid-state prototype in 2022, which had an energy density between 350-400Wh/kg - less than the 600Wh/kg of Chery’s incoming units. GWM’s battery, like Chery's, uses a sulfide-based make-up. The battery underwent extensive testing, including rigorous thermal efficiency trials, maintaining stability at 200 degrees, as reported by CarNews China.GWM currently only has one electric car on sale in Australia, which is its budget Ora hatch. It is expected to add the Ora 5 crossover to its EV line-up this year.Chery is also pushing ahead with its solid-state plans, including the launch of two models within the next couple of years, with the brand's Australian branch keen to have them Down Under. Its recently-announced 600Wh/kg unit is claimed to have a driving range of 1500km, significantly more than any other fully-electric car on the market. BYD has also been gearing up its pursuit of solid-state, with small-batch production scheduled for 2027.Wei’s comments line up with similar sentiments from US giant General Motors in October 2025. The company's Vice President of Battery, Propulsion and Sustainability Kurt Kelty said solid-state “is still years away”, but the brand remains vigilant to its developments in the coming years.It echoes similar comments recently by Toyota executives, who went so far as to say "there's no telling if it will work or not" despite heavy investment in the tech.