- "Semi-solid-state batteries" will be named "solid-liquid batteries" in China to prevent public confusion with solid-state batteries, according to a local media report.
- Semi-solid-state batteries gained widespread attention starting in January 2021 when Nio unveiled a 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery pack.
Chinese authorities are reportedly standardizing the naming of semi-solid-state batteries to prevent public confusion, as such concepts draw intense attention.
A new regulatory document is in the works, which will uniformly rename "semi-solid-state batteries" as "solid-liquid batteries," local media outlet Yicai reported today, citing an executive from a leading power battery manufacturer.
The move aims to prevent public confusion between semi-solid-state and solid-state batteries, the source said.
Semi-solid-state batteries gained widespread attention starting in January 2021 when Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) unveiled a 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery pack during its Nio Day 2020 event, alongside the launch of its Nio ET7 sedan.
The battery cell supplier is startup Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology, which began delivering those cells to Nio in July 2023.
On June 1, 2024, after multiple delays, Nio finally put the 150-kWh battery pack into operation, enabling the ET7 sedan to achieve over 1,000 kilometers of range on a single charge.
Currently, such batteries remain costly and are not widely available within Nio's battery swap system.
In February 2023, Qin Lihong, Nio's co-founder and president, mentioned at an event that the cost of a 150-kWh battery pack was comparable to the then-price of a Nio ET5 sedan at RMB 328,000 yuan ($46,120).
Semi-solid-state batteries represent a transitional form in the evolution toward next-generation all-solid-state batteries, featuring a hybrid solid-liquid electrolyte.
All-solid-state batteries completely eliminate liquid electrolytes and are considered safer and more reliable.
However, all-solid-state batteries currently face numerous technical challenges hindering mass production.
CATL (HKG: 3750) executives have said multiple times over the past year that their goal is to achieve small-scale production of all-solid-state batteries by 2027, though large-scale production will still face issues including cost.
Using a maturity scale of one to nine for technology and manufacturing processes, CATL's all-solid-state battery R&D stands at level four, Wu Kai, the company's chief scientist, said at the China International Battery Fair 2024 in April 2024.
($1 = RMB 7.1116)
