Solid-State Batteries on the Path to Mass Production From Smart Glasses to Electric Cars

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FAULHABER Drive Systems

Li Auto is initially testing its solid-state battery in a pair of smart glasses and plans to begin installing the first cells in vehicles in 2027 or 2028 at the earliest. This example illustrates why, despite significant progress, China’s battery industry does not expect broader-scale mass production to begin until 2030.

It's a long way from smart glasses to electric cars when it comes to powering them with solid-state batteries. Chinese automaker Li Auto is currently grappling with this technical challenge.

It is an interesting example of the pragmatic approach taken by Chinese industry. At the same time, however, it confirms the industry’s more or less established timeline, which calls for mass production of electric cars no earlier than 2030.

Li Auto first tested its solid-state battery in a pair of smart glasses, according to the Chinese automotive website Zhonggong Qiche Wang. The automaker plans to begin installing the battery in vehicles no earlier than 2027 or 2028, initially in limited quantities, the report added.

It will take about five years of development work before solid-state batteries are ready for use in the mass production of passenger cars, said Liu Zhimin, CEO of “Li Auto Battery Co., Ltd.” and Senior Director of Drive Batteries at Li Auto, according to the industry publication, during a Li Auto technology briefing on September 21, 2026. The reason for the long development time: According to Li Auto’s battery expert, it remains difficult with solid-state batteries to simultaneously meet the targets for lifespan, charging performance, and cost.

Scaling from an Early Age

The strategy of first testing in smaller applications and only then gradually moving on to larger platforms is evident in the prototype. In the smart glasses—a device with low power consumption—Li Auto tested the material system, the stability of the interfaces, and the manufacturing yield. According to the company, this trial with the glasses is intended to help significantly reduce the costs of failed attempts in the vehicle later on.

Li Auto has so far developed prototype cells with a capacity of five ampere-hours. Liu Zhimin acknowledged that this means the company still lags significantly behind leading manufacturers such as CATL in solid-state battery research, as reported by the Chinese business portal Jiemian. Solid-state batteries replace the flammable liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion cells with a solid one. This is intended to make the batteries safer and increase their energy density.

CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, describes its level of development as “industry-leading.” According to the company, it plans to begin production on pilot lines in 2027. So, for now, these will also be small-scale production runs. Robin Zeng, CATL’s chairman, explained during a panel discussion in June that the solid-state cells had only reached level four on the nine-part TRL (Technology Readiness Level) scale. At this level, cells are still being tested in the laboratory. Only level nine signifies readiness for mass production. The industry portal CarNewsChina quotes the CATL CEO as saying that mass-market introduction is “years away.”

A Similar Tone

Competitors have similar timelines. BYD is also planning a pilot production run for 2027. The batteries are expected to be used in mainstream electric cars by 2030, said Sun Huajun, Chief Technology Officer of BYD Lithium Battery, at an industry forum back in February 2025. Chery announced that it would begin in-vehicle testing in 2027.

In the past, some automakers had expressed greater optimism, possibly to impress investors. However, the major battery manufacturers have consistently cited this timeline since last year. In addition to the technical challenges, there are also economic reasons for the cautious pace of development in solid-state batteries. Material and manufacturing costs are still relatively high. According to China Daily, Yang Hongxin, chairman and CEO of Svolt Energy, said that by 2027, solid-state cells are expected to still cost several times as much as conventional lithium-ion cells. He added that he does not expect large-scale commercialization until after 2030.

The Chicken-and-Egg Problem

It’s a classic “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” problem. Solid-state batteries only become cost-effective when produced in large quantities. But they can only be produced in large volumes if they’re affordable. CATL CEO Zeng expects that the first commercial batches will likely be used only in premium models priced at 250,000 yuan (about 33,000 euros / $37,620) or more. CATL sets the threshold for mass production at one million vehicles. According to the industry publication CarNewsChina, this is considered unattainable before 2030.

The government in Beijing is using this interim period to draft new regulations. A few weeks ago, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) approved a Chinese proposal to develop the first international standard for solid-state batteries in electric vehicles. China is thus taking the lead on a standard that has great potential to be adopted in many other countries in the future. Experts from France, South Korea, and Japan are collaborating on the project, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) in Beijing.

Until now, the industry has lacked standardized terminology and testing procedures, said Ji Xuehong, director of the Research Center for Innovation in the Automotive Industry at North China University of Technology. Yang Weibin, an expert on electric vehicles and drive batteries, expects the standard to save Chinese companies the costs of coordination and product testing when they enter foreign markets. The expert estimates it will take another two to three years before the standard is published. This is due to the time-consuming international negotiations and coordination. The standard would therefore be ready in 2028 at the earliest. Around that time, Li Auto’s solid-state battery is also expected to have made its way from eyewear to automobiles. 

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