Credit: Visual China

BEIJING, November 20 (TMTPOST) – Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group) (601238.SH) plans to incorporate solid-state batteries into vehicles by 2026, the company announced at the Guangzhou Auto Show last Friday.

The automaker is currently focusing on the development of solid-state batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and other technologies.

Solid-state batteries involve replacing the liquid electrolyte in power batteries with solid electrolytes, significantly increasing energy density. Solid-state batteries also prevent electrolyte leakage, enhancing automotive safety.

GAC Group said that the company's solid-state battery technology has made progress, achieving an energy density of up to 400Wh/kg while meeting safety and reliability requirements. The current mainstream liquid battery energy density ranges from 200Wh/kg to 300Wh/kg. Industry expectations suggest that future solid-state battery technology could reach an energy density of 1000Wh/kg.

According to Li Zheng, the General Manager of solid-state battery company Qingtao Energy Development, integrating solid-state batteries into vehicles involves three stages: research and development of technology and capacity building, qualitative research and small-scale experiments in collaboration with automakers, and quantitative product development and vehicle integration. He believes that achieving a production scale of 100,000 vehicles with solid-state batteries constitutes true mass production.

As one of the two major solid-state battery unicorns in China, Qingtao Energy Development plans to start mass production in 2025. GAC Group is also a strategic investor in the company.

Several automakers have announced their timelines for solid-state battery production. Volkswagen Group plans to launch vehicles with solid-state batteries as early as 2024, while Mercedes-Benz plans to do so after 2025. Chinese automakers such as SAIC, BAIC, and NIO are also developing solid-state battery technology. SAIC announced plans for large-scale production, aiming to release multiple models with solid-state batteries starting in the first half of 2025, with an estimated production volume of 100,000 vehicles.

Japanese automakers are also developing solid-state battery technology, with an aim to gain an advantage in the new energy vehicle industry. Toyota announced a collaboration with Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. to develop solid-state battery electrolytes, aiming for mass production by 2027 to 2028. Nissan plans to start solid-state battery pilot production in 2024 and achieve mass production by 2028.

Bo Shouhang, a professor at the Global Institute of Future Technology of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said that Toyota has  expertise in the field and, if solid-state batteries are mass-produced, the company may be the first to achieve this milestone.

GAC Group has invested in and set up multiple battery enterprises. Juwan Technology Research, a power battery enterprise incubated by the group, has been put into production on October 30, 2023, and the company is currently focusing on ultra-fast charging technology, with a total production capacity of 8GWh per year after it is fully completed.

GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., GAC Group's subsidiary, set up Yinpai Battery Technology Co., Ltd (Yinpai Battery) in October 2022. Yinpai Battery is expected to complete the construction of the 6 GWh production line before March 2024, and that of all 36 GWh production lines by the end of 2025.