Electromobility Chinese battery manufacturer announces solid-state battery for 2027

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The solid-state battery from China is likely to arrive sooner than previously expected: As early as 2027, the second-largest battery manufacturer BYD plans to begin serial production for premium models. Mass production for electric cars and hybrids of all price ranges is then expected to start from 2030.

The new timeline first crystallized in mid-February at a specialist conference in Beijing, primarily through statements made by Sun Huajun, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of BYD Lithium Battery Co., Ltd., the battery subsidiary of BYD.

We will start demonstrations in 2027 and realize mass production in large volumes around 2030.

Sun Huajun also revealed for the first time that BYD had already succeeded in building a prototype of a solid-state battery with a charging capacity of 60 ampere-hours last year.

Great efforts towards commercialization

Solid-state batteries are considered the "next generation" of car batteries because they have a higher energy density due to the absence of liquid electrolytes, thus allowing for greater range for electric vehicles. They are also considered safer and characterized by significantly faster charging times compared to the currently common lithium-ion batteries.

Currently, there is a significant global effort in developing commercially viable solid-state batteries, both by automakers like BYD, Honda, Toyota, and Mercedes, as well as by established battery manufacturers and startups.

China leading in power batteries

Insights into the plans of the largest Chinese manufacturers like BYD are interesting because the Chinese currently dominate the global market for power batteries, and decisions made by BYD or CATL will significantly shape the future of the industry.

BYD is currently pursuing the technological route of solid-state batteries with sulfide electrolytes, said the CTO of BYD's battery subsidiary. This is the same path chosen by the biggest competitor, CATL.

Current statistics show that CATL holds a global market share of installed battery capacity of 37.9 percent, followed by BYD with 17.2 percent in second place.

Scaling will reduce costs

He is confident that this type of solid-state battery will soon be available at similar prices to lithium-ion batteries, said the CTO of BYD. Currently, they are much more expensive, but the scaling that will commence around 2030 and thereafter will quickly bring prices down, said Sun Haijun.

Currently, BYD relies on a combination of high-nickel ternary single crystals combined with silicon-based negative electrodes and sulfide electrolytes (complex halides). This is fundamentally different from the polymer route pursued by SAIC or the oxide route by Toyota.

Prototype charges to 80 percent in ten minutes

The Chinese specialist portal Weike Wang reported that the BYD prototype from last year has an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, which is about double that of currently standard lithium-ion batteries. The prototype allows recharging a battery to 80 percent in ten minutes and can be used at temperatures as low as minus 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Advancements in impedance control and power losses

BYD has also made advancements in research and development concerning impedance control at interfaces and the mitigation of power losses at low temperatures, writes Weike Wang.

The currently common battery type of lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes is expected to be installed in electric cars and hybrids for the next 15 to 20 years, said the CTO at the conference.

He expects the use of solid-state batteries to first appear in premium models, such as those from BYD's Denza or Yangwang brands. Only in the following years will solid-state batteries gradually prevail in the mid and lower segments of e-mobility, said Sun Haijun.

_{*Henrik Bork, longtime China correspondent for the Süddeutsche Zeitung and the Frankfurter Rundschau, is Managing Director at Asia Waypoint, a China-specialized consulting agency based in Beijing.} 

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