6 Milliarden US-Dollar als "Staatliche Wette": Warum setzt China so hart auf diesen harten Kampf?

Solid-state batteries are the hottest niche track in the new energy field this year.

In the past six months, the concept of solid-state batteries in the secondary market has witnessed a sharp doubling trend. According to Wind statistics, the GF Guozheng New Energy Vehicle Battery ETF, with a 65% weighting of the solid-state battery concept, has seen a cumulative net inflow of over 6.5 billion yuan in the recent 20 trading days, indicating the enthusiasm of funds.

In the primary market, after relative silence in the previous two years, solid-state battery startups have continued to receive financial support this year. Leading enterprise Weilan New Energy completed its Series D+ financing. In addition, startups such as Xinjie Energy, Zhonggu Times, and Shen'an Lithium Energy also obtained early-stage financing.

The catalysis of industrial policies, breakthroughs in R & D technology, and even the doubts about the existing battery system triggered by several vehicle accidents have all attracted high attention to this industry on the verge of mass production.

Driven by policies, funds, and the industrial chain, Chinese enterprises are expected to be the first to blaze a trail for the large-scale mass production of solid-state batteries.

 A 6-billion-yuan special project bets on the “next-generation battery”

Around 2023, when China's production and sales of new energy vehicles ranked first in the world for consecutive years, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China organized a series of proactive investigations.

The investigation gathered top industry experts, and the topic was: Is there a disruptive technology that will impact China's global battery status in the future?

According to a report in Southern Weekend, the conclusion of the investigation at that time was clear, which was all-solid-state batteries.

Solid-state batteries are regarded as the “ultimate form” of lithium battery development. They use solid electrolytes, which have more stable chemical properties and can expand the application boundaries of cathode and anode materials. Both safety performance and energy density can achieve a qualitative leap.

Since the birth of the first solid-state battery in the 1990s, solid-state batteries have never truly emerged from the laboratory. Over the past years, even Toyota, which has invested heavily, and the Japanese industry it represents, have failed to make solid-state batteries cross the threshold of commercialization.

However, although Toyota has repeatedly postponed the mass production of solid-state batteries, making it a “crying wolf” story, in the past two years, global automakers such as Toyota, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis have successively announced the mass production nodes of solid-state batteries, which has made the Chinese industry see a clear consensus and the potential crisis behind it.

After the investigation formed a conclusion, Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Tsinghua University, took the lead in establishing the China All-Solid-State Battery Industry-University-Research Collaborative Innovation Platform, and the government launched a special stimulus plan of 6 billion yuan for solid-state batteries.

Market information shows that last year, six companies, including CATL, BYD, FAW, SAIC, Weilan New Energy, and Geely, received basic R & D support from the government. In September this year, the “vanguard” of this batch of solid-state battery R & D also faced the review and evaluation of the R & D special project. Projects that pass the review will receive subsequent appropriations, and the application window for the second round of subsidies may also open.

Thus, solid-state batteries have transformed from a product still under R & D in the laboratory into the core position for China's battery industry to “attack and defend”.

On the one hand, government departments provide a positive policy environment for solid-state batteries through a series of measures such as industrial policy documents, public speeches at conferences, and the formulation of industry standards. On the other hand, various entities such as industrial companies and research institutions have accelerated the R & D pace of solid-state batteries.

The actions of leading companies can often be regarded as the industry trend.

Last year, industry leader CATL changed its normal practice and significantly increased its R & D investment in solid-state batteries. It expanded its R & D team from less than 100 people in the past to over 1,000 people, led by Chief Scientist Wu Kai, and planned the mass production nodes.

According to a report in LatePost, as early as 2016, CATL started researching all-solid-state batteries. However, at that time, the team was positioned to “assist senior management in making technological decisions”. It was not until the past two years that CATL's solid-state battery R & D team truly started the mass production R & D work.

 From the laboratory to industrialization

As it is an almost undisputed future path in the industry, almost all power battery companies have reserved R & D resources for solid-state batteries.

In addition to leading companies like CATL and BYD, second-tier battery manufacturers regard solid-state batteries as one of the key points to catch up.

On October 23rd, at the 2025 New Energy Battery Industry Development Conference, Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery released a polymer all-solid-state battery called Xin·Bixiao.

This is Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery's first all-solid-state battery, with an energy density of 400 Wh/kg and has reached the “near-mass-production” level, with a cell capacity of 20 Ah. Sunwoda also plans to build a 0.2 GWh pilot line by the end of this year, which can be compatible with the preparation of 60 Ah single cells.

The R & D of solid-state batteries usually starts with the trial production of 1 Ah samples and then gradually scales up production, solving various problems in the process. A 20 Ah sample means that the battery solution has been initially finalized, entering a new stage of exploring production technology.

In the past two years, many battery manufacturers have released their respective solid-state battery products. They have adopted different technical routes and have their own advantages in performance parameters and mass production progress.

For example, in terms of energy density, the “Boundaryless” battery released by AVIC Lithium in August last year has the highest energy density, reaching 430 Wh/kg, while the “Jinshi” battery of Gotion High-Tech has a capacity of 70 Ah.

However, for solid-state batteries still in the R & D and trial production stage, if measured by the same standard, that is, the mass production application node, the progress of each company is similar. Even if there are differences in some single-point performance, they can be ignored in the long process of large-scale production.

Xu Zhongling, the dean of the Central Research Institute of Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery, told the media including EqualOcean Auto that the industry is currently in the breakthrough period of product development and design, which is only the first stage of the commercialization of solid-state batteries. With the breakthrough in market application and the development of the supply chain, solid-state batteries will truly achieve large-scale mass production.

To meet the vehicle-grade standards, the released solid-state battery needs to increase the single-cell capacity to over 60 Ah on the one hand and optimize the process to reach the mass-production level on the other hand. In addition, it also needs to be jointly developed with automaker customers and undergo multiple rounds of verification. In short, there is still a long way to go.

The report 2024 China All-Solid-State Battery Industry Research released by EqualOcean Think Tank also points out that all-solid-state batteries are currently in the technological germination period, and the materials and processes are still in the exploration and research stage, with a certain distance from mass production.

Solid-state batteries mainly replace liquid electrolytes with solid electrolytes. The stable characteristics of solid electrolytes raise the performance ceiling of battery products but also bring core material problems in R & D and production.

There are mainly three technical routes for the solid electrolytes used in solid-state batteries, including sulfides, oxides, and polymers, each with its own characteristics.

Among them, sulfides are the relatively mainstream route. Leading enterprises such as Toyota and CATL are “sticking to” the sulfide solution. The lithium-ion conductivity in sulfide electrolytes is close to that of electrolytes, but they are prone to oxidation and produce toxic gases. The lithium-ion conductivity of oxides and polymers is relatively low, which directly affects the performance of batteries.

The solid-state battery released by Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery this time adopts the polymer route.

To solve the natural defects of polymer electrolytes, Sunwoda uses lithium salts with high dissociation degrees and functional multi-component fillers and introduces a high-strength flame-retardant polymer with anchor points. The new polymer electrolyte membrane obtained is said to be able to increase the ionic conductivity at room temperature by more than five times, comparable to the level of sulfide electrolyte membranes.

In addition to the change from liquid electrolyte to solid electrolyte, the cathode and anode materials of solid-state batteries often change due to the change of the transmission medium to obtain higher energy density. For example, the anode will evolve from the current mainstream graphite to silicon-based anodes and lithium metal anodes. The latter is the essence of the “lithium metal super battery” planned by battery manufacturers such as Sunwoda.

Material performance is only one of the R & D dilemmas faced by solid-state batteries. Even at the product R & D level, solid-state batteries still face challenges in multiple links such as solid-solid interface contact and production and manufacturing.

Currently, the relatively unified delivery node for solid-state batteries in the industry is 2027, which is only a small-scale demonstration of vehicle installation. Gotion High-Tech, which has entered the Mercedes-Benz supply chain, may take a small step ahead. It publicly stated that its 60 Ah sulfide solid-state battery will be delivered to strategic customers in small quantities by the end of this year.

 It's too early for vehicle installation

The challenges brought by all-solid-state batteries are too great, and the industry has explored a compromise solution in the past two years - semi-solid batteries.

That is, trying to dope some wetting agents into the solid electrolyte to improve the contact problem of the solid-solid interface.

At the same time, since solid electrolytes are still mainly used, there is still flexibility in the anode material. For example, using silicon-doped graphite can still improve performance such as energy density.

The effect is immediate. Currently, semi-solid batteries have been produced in small quantities. The earliest one is the 150 kWh battery jointly developed by NIO and Weilan New Energy. The battery pack was put on the market at the beginning of last year. Subsequently, brands under SAIC, such as IM and MG, also successively released products equipped with semi-solid batteries, supplied by Qingtao Energy.

The increase in the energy density of semi-solid batteries enables electric vehicles to easily exceed a range of 1,000 kilometers, and there is no need to worry too much about power loss even in the low-temperature environment in the north.

The attempts of Weilan and Qingtao with semi-solid batteries have given hope to the industry. Many power battery companies are accelerating the promotion of semi-solid battery products while making long-term arrangements for solid-state batteries.

For example, Sunwoda released a semi-solid product with an energy density of 320 Wh/kg and a soft-solid product with an energy density of 360 Wh/kg at the beginning and middle of this year respectively.

However, the application of semi-solid batteries in automobiles is a bit “pointless”. Mainly, compared with current liquid batteries, the increase in energy density of semi-solid batteries is not significant, while the cost is much higher.

Taking NIO's 150 kWh battery as an example, the industry estimates that the cost of the cell alone is 300,000 yuan. Qin Lihong, the president of NIO, once revealed that the price of this battery pack is “equivalent to an ET5”. The 1,000-kilometer range achieved by it is also comparable to that of CATL's high-nickel ternary “Qilin Battery”.

Therefore, even though NIO has taken the first step in the mass production of semi-solid batteries, it has not launched them on a large scale. They are only available for rent, for emergency use in some extreme scenarios. The semi-solid models of SAIC's IM brand are still only on paper.

According to a previous report by 36Kr, currently, semi-solid batteries used in electric vehicles have difficulty passing the battery thermal runaway test after increasing the energy density. Semi-solid products that can pass the thermal runaway test will sacrifice some other performance, such as energy density or cycle life.

In short - not good enough to use.

The automotive industry is highly competitive, and cost competition has penetrated into all aspects. For the current automotive industry, a “cost-effective” all-round solution is more practical than the semi-solid and solid-state battery solutions at the forefront of technology.

Currently, the more prioritized application scenarios for both semi-solid and solid-state batteries are not automobiles, but fields such as aircraft, robots, and 3C consumer products. These fields have higher requirements for energy density and safety and are relatively less sensitive to cost, which can quickly verify the technical value.

Taking aircraft batteries as an example, Xu Zhongling introduced that first, they have a very high energy density threshold; second, they have high safety requirements. For example, even if a safety problem occurs, the power cannot be cut off, and the aircraft must land safely; third, they have high power density requirements. Whether taking off, landing, or encountering crosswinds, airflows, or other extreme situations, high-power discharge is required.

Such products and scenarios are highly compatible with solid-state batteries. He believes that after verifying the technical value in these applicable scenarios, cultivating the relevant industrial chain, and reducing costs, solid-state batteries will penetrate into the passenger car field.

 Conclusion

Solid-state batteries are the hottest niche track in the new energy field this year.

The catalysis of industrial policies, breakthroughs in R & D technology, and even the doubts about the existing battery system triggered by several vehicle accidents have all attracted high attention to this industry on the verge of mass production.

Although mass production is still several years away, funds have already made early arrangements.

In the past six months, the concept of solid-state batteries in the secondary market has witnessed a sharp doubling trend. According to Wind statistics, the GF Guozheng New Energy Vehicle Battery ETF, with a 65% weighting of the solid-state battery concept, has seen a cumulative net inflow of over 6.5 billion yuan in the recent 20 trading days, indicating the enthusiasm of funds.

In the primary market, after relative silence in the previous two years, solid-state battery startups have continued to receive financial support this year. Leading enterprise Weilan New Energy completed its Series D+ financing. In addition, startups such as Xinjie Energy, Zhonggu Times, and Shen'an Lithium Energy also obtained early-stage financing.

The commercialization of solid-state batteries is destined to be a long and arduous journey.

The short-term capital frenzy cannot bridge the objective cycle of technological maturity and industrial implementation. Only long-term financial support, a relaxed policy environment, and the coordinated development of the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain can truly enable the large-scale application of solid-state batteries.

This article is from the WeChat official account “EqualOcean”. Author: Peng Suping. Republished by 36Kr with permission.