Three major breakthroughs in solid-state battery technology have dramatically accelerated the industrialization process!

China Energy Storage Network News: Recently, Professor Zhang Qiang's team from Tsinghua University published a major research result in the journal Nature on a novel fluorinated polyether-based polymer electrolyte, which enables lithium metal batteries to achieve an astonishing energy density of 604 Wh/kg and exhibits excellent safety characteristics.

Almost simultaneously, institutions such as the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences also achieved a series of breakthroughs in the field of solid-state batteries, solving core problems such as solid-solid interface contact and ionic conductivity. These innovative achievements from Chinese research teams are reshaping the technological path of next-generation power batteries, bringing new possibilities to fields such as electric vehicles, energy storage, and the low-altitude economy. Policy Support: The Industrialization Path is Clear. Since 2025, national-level policies on the top-level design of solid-state lithium batteries have been intensively introduced, encouraging and regulating the healthy and orderly development of the industry. In February 2025, eight national departments jointly issued the "Action Plan for High-Quality Development of New Energy Storage Manufacturing Industry," listing solid-state batteries as a key research direction, supporting the development of solid-state lithium batteries and sodium batteries, and proposing to create 3-5 global leading companies by 2027. In April 2025, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology clearly proposed the establishment of a full solid-state battery standard system in the "Key Points of Industrial and Information Technology Standards Work in 2025," and required the acceleration of the development of standards for full solid-state batteries and in-service testing of power batteries in the "Key Points of Automotive Standardization Work in 2025." In May 2025, the China Society of Automotive Engineers released the group standard "Determination Method for All-Solid-State Batteries," which for the first time clearly defined all-solid-state batteries (liquid substance content < 1%), resolving the long-standing ambiguity in the industry's definition. In September 2025, the 6 billion yuan major R&D project on solid-state batteries launched by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2024 entered its mid-term review. Projects that pass the review will receive subsequent funding, with a focus on supporting technologies such as sulfide electrolytes and semi-solid-state batteries. The National Development and Reform Commission provides a 15% subsidy on actual investment in solid-state battery projects through ultra-long-term treasury bonds. Furthermore, the new energy vehicle subsidy policy remains in effect. Vehicles equipped with semi-solid-state batteries receive an additional subsidy of 15,000 yuan per vehicle, while subsidies for all-solid-state battery vehicles are increased to 30,000 yuan per vehicle; this policy continues until 2027.

Three Major Technological Breakthroughs: Overcoming the Solid-Solid Interface Contact Challenge

Solid-state lithium batteries, due to their high safety and high energy density, are considered an important direction for the development of next-generation energy storage technology. However, the commercialization of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries has long been hindered by six key challenges, including the solid-solid interface, material stability, and densification issues. The most significant challenge is the poor solid-solid interface contact between the electrode and the electrolyte. Commonly used sulfide solid electrolytes are hard and brittle like ceramics, while lithium metal electrodes are soft like putty, making it difficult for the two to adhere tightly.

To address this challenge, the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with several other institutions, developed a "special adhesive"—iodine ions. During battery operation, these ions move along the electric field to the interface between the electrodes and the electrolyte, actively attracting lithium ions to fill all gaps and pores. This anion regulation technology ensures a tight bond between the electrodes and the electrolyte. Tests showed that prototype batteries fabricated using this technology maintained stable performance after hundreds of charge-discharge cycles.

The Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, innovatively proposed a "flexible transformation technique," using polymer materials to create a "skeleton" for the electrolyte, making the battery as resistant to stretching and pulling as an upgraded version of cling film. The flexible battery achieved through this technology remains intact even after 20,000 bends and twisting, and the "small chemical parts" added to the flexible skeleton directly increase the battery's energy storage capacity by 86%.

Tsinghua University's "fluorine-reinforced" technology uses fluorinated polyether materials to modify the electrolyte. Leveraging the strong high-voltage resistance of fluorine, a "fluoride protective shell" is formed on the electrode surface to prevent high voltage from "breaking down" the electrolyte. This technology has withstood nail penetration tests and 120°C high-temperature chamber tests without exploding when fully charged, achieving a "dual online" balance of safety and range.

Now, the once seemingly insurmountable challenge of the solid-solid interface, akin to the relationship between "ceramic plate" and "playdough," is being cleverly resolved by Chinese research teams using three key technologies: "special adhesive," "flexible framework," and "fluorine reinforcement," dramatically accelerating the industrialization of solid-state batteries.

Technological Value: A Dual Leap in Safety and Energy Density The technological breakthrough in all-solid-state batteries not only signifies increased energy density but also represents a crucial path to fundamentally solving battery safety issues.

Miao Lixiao, General Manager of Frontier Technology R&D at Svolt Energy, stated: "Currently, the safety hazards of liquid lithium-ion batteries stem from the use of flammable organic liquid electrolytes, which are highly susceptible to combustion or even explosion under thermal runaway conditions." Completely removing the liquid components and replacing them with non-flammable all-solid-state electrolytes will result in a qualitative leap in battery intrinsic safety. Simultaneously, advancements in solid-state battery technology will drive a transformation of the entire new energy ecosystem. Wang Mingwang, founder of Sunwoda Group, believes that future batteries will no longer be independent components, but rather the "core unit" of the entire new energy ecosystem. Sunwoda's previously proposed "Battery+" strategy is an ecosystem strategy centered on battery technology, providing industry customers and partners with a full stack of "Battery+" services.

Grid Connection Financing and Capacity Expansion: Accelerated Implementation in 2025 While positive developments are frequently reported in laboratories, the industrialization process of semi-solid/solid batteries has also been accelerated. Regarding grid-connected projects, according to incomplete statistics from the CESA Energy Storage Application Branch's industry database, from January to October 2025, the newly added grid-connected capacity of semi-solid/solid battery energy storage projects in China will be 133.12MW/291.23MWh. A total of 9 projects have been connected to the grid, including 5 user-side projects, 3 grid-side projects, and 1 power supply-side project, located in Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Qinghai, Shandong, Shanghai, and other regions.

International Developments: The Technological Race Intensifies

Internationally, the technological race in solid-state battery development is becoming increasingly fierce. For example, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has funded four all-solid-state battery projects through the Battery Supply Guarantee Program, totaling 104 billion yen (approximately 4.85 billion yuan), with a focus on supporting the development of sulfide electrolytes. Idemitsu Kosan received a 7.1 billion yen subsidy to build a lithium sulfide production line, with mass production planned for 2027, supplying Toyota's all-solid-state vehicles. Toyota plans to launch a high-end model equipped with sulfide solid-state batteries in 2027, Honda will start trial production on its demonstration line in 2025, and Nissan's all-solid-state battery, developed in collaboration with NASA, is planned for installation in vehicles in 2028. The EU is using carbon tariffs to drive technological upgrades and providing more targeted financial support. For instance, Horizon Europe plans to launch a €15 million project in May 2025 to support the development of all-solid-state batteries for long-term energy storage, focusing on addressing cost and cycle life issues. In July 2025, the Innovation Fund (IF24) allocated €852 million to six solid-state battery projects for high-performance battery cell manufacturing and materials innovation, involving companies such as BASF (Germany) and TotalEnergies (France). Furthermore, starting in February 2025, the EU required third-party certification of the carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries, with a full implementation of the battery passport system in 2027, forcing Chinese battery companies to accelerate technological upgrades or establish factories overseas. In the US, the focus is on both supply chain localization and technological breakthroughs. In January 2025, the US announced $725 million specifically for battery material processing and solid-state battery manufacturing; in June, the SCALE UP program allocated $20 million to Ion Storage Systems to promote the commercialization of sulfide solid-state batteries (U.S. Department of Energy). Volkswagen has invested an additional €2.5 billion in QuantumScape in the US, aiming for mass production of solid-state batteries by 2027; Ford is collaborating with Factorial Energy to develop a 450Wh/kg battery, with road testing to begin in 2025. South Korea, on the other hand, is focusing on niche areas, with industry, academia, and research collaborating. In February 2025, South Korea invested 430 billion won to support the research and development of all-solid-state batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries, reducing its reliance on rare earth elements. In May 2025, a 35.8 billion won (approximately 200 million yuan) project was launched on polymer-based solid-state batteries, with Amo Greentech, Chungnam National University, and others working together, aiming to provide samples to consumer electronics manufacturers by 2027.

Mass Production Timeline: 2027 a Key Milestone

Currently, a clear timeline for solid-state battery mass production has been established in the industry. CATL and Zhongchuang Innovation Aviation plan to achieve all-solid-state battery installations in vehicles by 2027. Changan Automobile plans to debut its first prototype vehicle by the end of 2025 and begin mass production in 2027, with its battery offering 70% improved safety compared to liquid batteries. Dongfeng Motor has already developed a 350Wh/kg product with a range exceeding 1000 kilometers. BYD, Geely, and GAC have all set 2027 as a key milestone for vehicle installation. Some companies are even more aggressive: Farasis Energy expects to deliver 60Ah sulfide all-solid-state batteries by the end of 2025, and Guoxuan High-Tech's first pilot production line has been completed. On October 23, at the 2025 New Energy Battery Industry Development Conference, Sunwoda launched its new generation polymer all-solid-state battery, "Xin·Bixiao," with an energy density of 400Wh/kg and a cycle life of 1200 cycles under ultra-low applied pressure (<1MPa). Sunwoda expects to build a 0.2GWh polymer solid-state cell pilot production line by the end of 2025 and has successfully developed and tested a 520Wh/kg lithium metal super battery laboratory sample.

Cost Challenges: A Real Obstacle to Solid-State Battery Mass Production

Despite exciting technological breakthroughs, cost remains a crucial obstacle to the industrialization and large-scale production of solid-state batteries. The material cost of all-solid-state batteries alone is as high as 2 yuan/watt-hour, three to five times that of conventional liquid lithium-ion batteries. Wang Qingsheng, Director of the Sino-Russian New Energy Materials Technology Research Institute, cautions that science and technology must be approached with a rigorous and pragmatic attitude. “A ‘disruptive’ technology that incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as ‘ultra-fast charging,’ ‘ultra-low temperature,’ and ‘absolute safety,’ yet to be verified through large-scale mass production, would clearly violate the basic business logic of ‘technology premium’ and ‘R&D cost sharing’ if its cost target is set lower than that of existing, highly mature battery technologies that have been optimized for ten years and are now in a highly competitive market.” The industry generally believes that the initial cost of solid-state battery mass production will be more than twice that of existing batteries, and subsequent cost reductions will require continuous technological iteration. Furthermore, Miao Lixiao, General Manager of Frontier Technology R&D at Svolt Energy, frankly stated that the industrialization of all-solid-state batteries faces numerous technological challenges. “There are approximately 172 technological challenges to overcome for its industrialization, and the actual difficulties may be even greater if the complexity of the manufacturing process is considered.” Application Prospects: From High-End Markets to Widespread Adoption

Regarding the commercialization path of all-solid-state batteries, Zhu Gaolong, Chairman of Sichuan SECCO Power Technology Co., Ltd., believes that the primary task for all-solid-state batteries is to achieve a substantial technological leap and create products that are truly usable in specific application scenarios. It is expected that all-solid-state batteries will first be implemented in specialized fields where costs are relatively insensitive, such as low-altitude economy, hybrid power, or high-temperature drilling platforms. In these scenarios, all-solid-state batteries must not only possess the basic performance required of energy storage devices, but also significantly surpass the boundaries of liquid batteries in terms of safety. Wu Hui, Dean of the EV10 Research Institute, pointed out that in 2024, the shipment volume of semi-solid-state batteries had already entered the gigawatt-hour range, penetrating from high-end consumer goods and special application fields such as autonomous vehicles, and vehicle testing in passenger cars has also begun. The planned industrialization node for all-solid-state batteries has been moved forward from 2030 to 2027. Some research institutions predict that by 2030, global solid-state battery shipments will reach 614 GWh, of which all-solid-state batteries will account for nearly 30%. As solid-state battery technology matures and production capacity expands, costs are expected to gradually decrease, further driving up the penetration rate of new energy vehicles and expanding into new scenarios such as electric aircraft and long-range robots, moving from the high-end market to widespread adoption. The once unattainable commercial dream of all-solid-state batteries is now accelerating at a pace exceeding industry expectations.