Global mainstream battery companies have successively announced the timetable for mass production of solid-state batteries, mainly between 2027 and 2030. CATL, BYD, Qingtao Energy, etc. all plan to achieve small-scale production of all-solid-state batteries around 2027. In addition, Samsung SDI also plans to achieve large-scale mass production of all-solid-state batteries in 2027.
1.Industrialization Progress
Key Metrics:
| Parameter | Chinese Progress | Global Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 2026-2027（Semi-solid） | 2027-2030（ASSB） |
| Energy Density | 300-500 Wh/kg（2025） | 400-600 Wh/kg（2030） |
| Cost Reduction | 40%（vs 2023 Liquid LIBs） | 50%（Toyota Sulfide Route） |
Industry Leaders:
- CATL: Sulfide electrolyte + Silicon-carbon anode solution (Sulfide + Si-C anode), trial production in 2027;
- Toyota: Sulfide all-solid-state battery (Sulfide ASSB), mass production before 2030;
- Qingtao Energy: Oxide-Polymer Hybrid, 0.2GWh test line has been built.
Industrial Chain Shift：
Theindustryisundergoinga∗∗liquid−to−solidtransition∗∗,withthe∗∗solid−stateelectrolytemarket∗∗projectedtoexceed 12B by 2030 (68% CAGR).
2.Core Material Systems
1) Solid-State Electrolytes
Solid electrolyte is the biggest core variable of solid-state battery.
Traditional liquid battery mainly uses liquid as electrolyte material, solid-state battery uses solid electrolyte to realize lithium ion transport and internal current conduction.
From the perspective of electrolyte route selection, semi-solid-state battery currently uses oxide and polymer or a composite route of the two, and all-solid-state battery mostly uses sulfide route.
Oxide is currently progressing faster, sulfide has the greatest potential in the future, and polymer performance upper limit is lower.
Performance Comparison:
| Type | Ionic Conductivity (S/cm) | Thermal Stability (°C) | Cost ($/kg) | Key Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polymer | 10⁻⁴~10⁻⁵ | <100 | 50-80 | Wuhua Tech |
| Oxide | 10⁻³~10⁻⁴ | >800 | 150-300 | WeLion |
| Sulfide | 10⁻²~10⁻³ | 300-500 | 500-800 | CATL |
Polymer Solid-State Electrolytes:
Early research focused primarily on polymer electrolytes, making polymer-based systems relatively mature in terms of manufacturing processes. Polymer electrolytes exhibit good flexibility and low cost, allowing them to be the first to achieve commercial application. However, their development potential has been constrained by the performance ceiling of polymer electrolytes, driving a gradual transition in solid-state battery research toward oxide and sulfide systems.
In early commercialization stages, polymer electrolytes were primarily used in hybrid configurations with other electrolyte types. Key polymer producers like PEO and PVDF manufacturers have strategically positioned themselves in the polymer solid-state electrolyte sector. For example, Wuhua Technology expanded its fluorochemical industry chain through the acquisition of Sinochem Lantian, strengthening its capabilities in polymer solid-state electrolytes. Fluorochemical materials are critical components of polymer solid-state electrolytes, while PEO (polyethylene oxide) serves as the primary matrix material in these systems.
Oxide Solid-State Electrolytes
The oxide pathway is advancing rapidly in commercialization. Oxide systems demonstrate high stability, but their brittle nature exacerbates rigid contact at solid-solid interfaces[tech], leading to widespread use in hybrid configurations with polymer solid-state electrolytes.
Among battery manufacturers, WeLion New Energy and TaiLan New Energy spearhead oxide-based solid-state battery production, achieving energy densities of 300-500 Wh/kg. Companies like BYD, Qingtao Energy, and Farasis Energy adopt oxide-polymer composite solutions. Chinese enterprises have now established initial mass-production capabilities for promising oxide solid electrolytes such as LATP, LLZO, and LLTO.
Sulfide Solid-State Electrolytes
Among single-electrolyte pathways, the sulfide route currently attracts the most attention.
Sulfide solid-state electrolytes primarily consist of lithium and sulfur, supplemented with elements like phosphorus, silicon, germanium, or halides. They achieve ionic conductivity up to 10⁻² S/cm (comparable to liquid electrolytes), while their inherent flexibility enhances interfacial contact, making this the most promising development pathway.
Chinese Industry Adoption:
- Core Players: CATL, SVOLT, Enpower, High Energy Era, CAS Solid Energy, Gotion High-tech
- Technical Focus: Addressing instability[tech], narrow voltage window[Current 2.2V (theoretical)], and high production costs that hinder mass production. Cost reduction remains the primary focus for scaling.
2) Cathode Materials
Cathode materials constitute one of the critical factors limiting battery energy density enhancement. In current liquid lithium-ion battery development, cathode materials primarily serve as the lithium source. Solid-state batteries predominantly employ high-nickel ternary cathode systems. Compared to liquid batteries, solid-state battery cathode systems exhibit minimal structural changes, with select enterprises having implemented technical roadmaps for ultra-high-nickel ternary cathode materials.
| Component | Liquid | Semi-Solid | All-Solid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathode | NCM/LFP | High-Ni/Ultra-High Ni NCM | High-Ni NCM/LRMO/S-Air |
| Anode | Graphite (+Si blend) | Si-based/Li Metal | Li Metal Anode |
| Separator | Wet/Dry Process | Wet + Coated Separators (Larger Pores) | Separator-less |
| Electrolyte | Liquid (20-10 wt%) | Hybrid (Liquid 10-1 wt% + LiTFSI) | Solid-State Electrolyte |
Solid-state battery technology generation
| Generation | Type | Electrolyte | Separator | Anode | Cathode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Gen | Semi-Solid | Partial solid replacement | Unchanged | Graphite/Si-C (+pre-lithiation) | NCM/NCA |
| 2nd Gen | All-Solid | Full solid-state replacement | Eliminated | Graphite/Si-C (+pre-lithiation) | NCM/NCA |
| 3rd Gen | All-Solid | Full solid-state replacement | Eliminated | Li-metal | NCM/NCA |
| 4th Gen | All-Solid | Full solid-state replacement | Eliminated (Retained in minor cases) | Li-metal | Sulfides/LNMO/LRMO |
China Enterprise Development |
Public information:
- Easpring Tech: Developed dual-phase composite high-energy solid-state cathodes resolving solid-solid interface issues[tech], mass-supplied to key ASSB clients with vehicle integration
- Ronbay Tech: Ultra-high Ni ternary cathodes for ASSBs certified by global partners
- XTC New Energy: Delivering oxide-optimized cathodes for commercial applications
- Dowstone Technology: Industry-leading porous honeycomb single-crystal Ni-rich precursors for solid-state cathodes
Lithium-Rich Manganese-Based (LRMO) Cathodes
Technical Features:
- Energy Density: 300 mAh/g (2× commercial cathodes);
- Cost: 30-40% cheaper than NCM;
Market Landscape:
- Leaders:
- ✓ Easpring;
- ✓ Ningbo Institute of Materials (CAS) → 100-ton pilot line;
- ✓ Ronbay Tech.
- Active Developers:
- Zhenhua New Material;
- CNGR Advanced Material;
- Gotion High-tech;
- Do-Fluoride.
Commercialization Strategy:
- Hybrid Approach: Used in combination with ternary/NCM and LFP cathodes to reduce the operating voltage to 3.8V;
- Evolution Path: High-Ni NCM → LRMO → LMNO → Lithium-free cathodes.
3) Anode Materials
Anode materials accommodate lithium ions deintercalated from the cathode, enabling electrons to flow through the external circuit during charging, with the reverse process occurring during discharge.
Currently, solid-state battery anode materials mainly fall into three categories:
- carbon-based anodes;
- silicon-based anodes;
- metallic lithium anodes.
The energy density of graphite anodes has reached its limit, while silicon-based materials, with their theoretical specific capacity exceeding graphite, are regarded as the next-generation lithium battery anode materials. Metallic lithium anodes, with their ultimate potential, are expected to become the final solution. Silicon boasts a theoretical capacity of 4,200 mAh/g, making it a preferred material for enhancing energy density. However, due to silicon’s high expansion rate, current applications primarily use silicon-carbon composite anodes blended with graphite, which will dominate mid-to-short-term market growth. The CVD vapor deposition silicon-carbon route may emerge as the industry’s mainstream technical pathway.
Additionally, porous carbon and silane gas are the two core raw materials for silicon-carbon anodes. In these anodes, porous carbon acts as a scaffold, effectively buffering the stress and deformation caused by silicon’s lithium-ion intercalation/deintercalation, thereby improving cycle stability and energy density. The performance of porous carbon directly determines the quality of silicon-based products and accounts for ~35% of silicon-carbon production costs.
Metallic lithium offers a theoretical capacity of 3,860 mAh/g, over ten times that of traditional graphite anodes (372 mAh/g). Its relatively low density also reduces overall battery weight. Lithium metal and lithium salt companies like Ganfeng Lithium and Tianqi Lithium leverage their lithium resource advantages to advance in this field. Huafeng Co., Ltd., in collaboration with the research team of Li Chilin at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, focuses on industrializing lithium metal solid-state batteries.
Regarding separators, semi-solid-state batteries retain liquid electrolytes and separators due to their partial liquid content. The separator evolution follows: traditional separators → oxide-coated separators → potential elimination of separators. Whether separators will be fully replaced depends on which technical route dominates.
Overall, the current solid-state battery technology landscape is diversified, with each route having distinct pros and cons. Companies select suitable pathways and materials based on their technical expertise and market positioning, collectively driving the comprehensive development of solid-state battery technology.