Recently, there has been a new breakthrough in all-solid-state batteries!

 

The University of Science and Technology of China has developed a new sulfide solid electrolyte for all-solid-state batteries, which has the inherent advantages of sulfide solid electrolytes at the same time, compared with other sulfide solid electrolytes, the cost is lower and more suitable for commercialization.

 

Since the beginning of this year, the concept of solid-state batteries has continued to be hot, and the technical competition between major car companies, battery suppliers, and research institutes at home and abroad has continued to heat up, and the mass production war of all-solid-state batteries is on the verge of ignition.

 

■ Solid state battery continues to be hot

 

From the performance of the capital market, since 2024, the related concepts of the solid-state battery plate have been strengthened many times, and after many projects have been landed and technology has been broken through, the heat of solid-state batteries has been higher and higher.

 

Recently, Sichuan's first solid-state battery innovation industrial park project was launched in Yibin City, with a total investment of 9.5 billion yuan. The project was invested and constructed by Sichuan New Energy Vehicle Innovation Center and Chengdu Secco Private Equity Fund in two phases.

 

In addition, Ningde Times disclosed a newly obtained solid-state battery utility model patent authorization. Tesla also recently disclosed a solid-state battery patent information, its research and development team with new materials to increase the battery cycle life of 10%.

 

Volkswagen announced on July 11 that it will significantly ramp up production of solid-state batteries developed with U.S. startup QuantumScape, with the goal of bringing the technology to more vehicles. Us solid-state battery manufacturer Factorial announced in early June this year that it will provide its development partner Mercedes-Benz with the next stage of solid-state battery B sample.

 

In terms of mass production, on July 3, battery company Xinwang revealed that it is expected to reduce the cost of polymer system all-solid-state batteries to 2 yuan /Wh in 2026, which is close to the cost of semi-solid-state batteries, which is also the first time Xinwang detailed public progress on all-solid-state batteries. On the same day, Ningde Times said in the survey that the company continues to firmly invest in all-solid-state batteries, and the technology is at the industry-leading level, and small batch production is expected to be achieved in 2027.

 

In addition to Ningde Times and Xinwang Da, Qingtao Energy, Zhongchuang Xinhang, Beehive Energy, Huineng Technology, Ganfeng Lithium, Yiwei Lithium Energy, Guoxun High-tech, Bic battery, Risen battery and other power battery manufacturers have announced their own solid-state battery onboard plans. Overseas battery manufacturers such as LGES and Samsung SDI are also accelerating the layout of solid-state batteries, and plan to mass-produce all-solid-state batteries from 2027 to 2028.

 

Car companies have also announced plans for the mass production of solid-state batteries. The light-year solid-state battery jointly developed by SAIC and Qingtao Energy will be mass-produced in October this year. Gac Group said its self-developed all-solid-state battery technology will be mass-produced in 2026 for high-end GAC Haobing models, with an energy density of more than 400Wh/kg and a driving range of more than 1,000 kilometers. Zhu Huarong, chairman of Changan Automobile, said that the semi-solid battery developed by the group will be on the market by the end of 2026. In addition, Nio, Selis, Nezha and other car companies also announced semi-solid state battery loading mass production plans.

 

■ The key to the electric car era

 

Solid-state batteries, which are already very hot, have recently been added to the fire.

 

Yang Guanghui, a veteran of the power battery industry, said that many car companies and suppliers have locked their eyes on solid-state batteries, which are directly related to the slow development of electric vehicles in Europe and North America. In addition to external reasons such as policy subsidies and government infrastructure, simply comparing electric vehicles with fuel vehicles themselves, electric vehicles have obvious shortcomings in safety and driving range. Even in such a developed environment of domestic new energy vehicle technology, the above vehicle pain points still exist.

 

Solid-state batteries can make up for these shortcomings. Solid-state batteries have four advantages, one is faster charging, without increasing the weight of the battery, the range of electric vehicles can be significantly improved. Second, the energy density is high, which means that it can do better in the range. Third, the battery safety is higher, the solid electrolyte is not easy to burn, not easy to burst, no electrolyte leakage, will not occur at high temperature side reactions, safety is greatly improved. Fourth, the battery cycle life is longer, the battery is life, generally the longer the battery loss will be more severe, resulting in a decrease in capacity, and the solid-state battery cycle life is significantly extended.

 

Yang Guanghui pointed out that if electric vehicles really want to attract users with their own performance characteristics in the market in the future, solid-state batteries will be a good solution. The real breakthrough and commercialization of solid-state battery technology will completely subvert the current electric vehicle industry. It can be said that solid-state batteries are a key that allows electric vehicles to truly enter thousands of households.

 

He further pointed out that unlike the current liquid lithium battery technology development is relatively mature, the development of solid-state batteries is still in the early stage, and there are a variety of technical routes and exploration. Moreover, the success or failure of solid-state batteries lies in electrolytes, that is to say, the cultivation of the industrial chain is crucial, which is a long-term and slow process, "3 to 4 years to completely replace the current liquid lithium battery is not realistic", Yang Guanghui is optimistic that by 2030, the market share of solid-state batteries or 5% to 10%.

 

■ Obvious industrial chain advantages of Chinese battery manufacturers should be the first to go to sea

 

 

According to incomplete statistics, in the first 7 months of this year, the new production capacity of solid-state batteries (including planning and landing) exceeded 142GWh, and the 30 projects associated with its production capacity involved a total investment of more than 64.4 billion yuan, one of which was a ten-billion yuan project, and the industry's enthusiasm for solid-state batteries was evident.

 

Yang Guanghui introduced that with the rapid development and profound accumulation in the field of power batteries, China's power battery industry chain is more perfect, which also makes China go faster and farther in the solid-state battery market. On the road of all-solid-state batteries, down-to-earth progressive development is the only way, Chinese cars are quite pragmatic and timely choose semi-solid-state batteries and other transition solutions, such as SAIC, NiO and other car companies this year will have semi-solid-state battery models mass production.

 

At the same time, solid-state batteries at this stage are far from perfect. Sun Xueliang, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has pointed out that the chemical composition and physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the positive electrode, electrolyte and negative electrode of the all-solid-state battery need to be improved, the compatibility between materials and the interface stability still need to be improved, the overall safety management strategy of the battery and the engineering preparation technology are not mature, these are still the difficulties that need to be broken through. While car companies and battery suppliers are rushing to solid state batteries, they have not stopped improving the performance of fuel lithium batteries.

 

Yang Guanghui further emphasized that solid-state batteries are far more than a technical commanding point for Chinese battery manufacturers, but also an excellent opportunity to go to the world stage. The development path of ambitious Chinese battery manufacturers is bound to shift from meeting domestic demand to exporting.

 

From the example of the electric vehicle industry going to sea, when the industry develops to a certain extent and then goes to sea, it will face multiple barriers such as political, geographical and economic barriers and obstacles. If battery manufacturers and electrolyte companies can actively go to sea in the early stage of the development of the solid-state battery industry, make full use of domestic and foreign resources, and build themselves into an enterprise recognized by the international market, it will benefit enterprises and the industry.

 

Of course, the auto industry is now extremely internal and competitive. Yang Guanghui also reminded that car companies and power battery companies do not confuse the concept of all-solid-state batteries, although the domestic industry chain advantages, but the enterprise still need to deeply in the development of technology, false label, steal the concept, misleading the market and consumers, will hurt the development of the industry chain, the enterprise itself will be attacked.

 

China Automotive News, July 29, 2024