SMM Solid-State Battery H1 2026 Review: From "Proof of Concept" to "Pre-Production Sprint"

July 2, 2026

Key Takeaway

H1 2026 was the critical build-up phase — dense conferences, national standards, tech breakthroughs, capital inflows, and capacity rollouts. H2 will shift into "race mode": multiple solid-state/semi-solid vehicles launch, and the competitive landscape for 2027 volume production will be largely locked in by year-end.

Prices & Production

H1 saw minimal actual procurement volumes (Li₂S: 37t; sulfide electrolyte: 49t); prices reflect lab/kg-level purchasing. H2 will transition to ton-scale trading as 100t+ lines come online, driving significant price declines.

Prices: Downward Trend Continues, Still Above Downstream Expectations

LCE supply remains loose (est. 2.02Mt LCE in 2026, +25% YoY), pressuring cathode prices lower.

Production: Electrolyte Output Yet to Scale; Volume Ramp Expected Mid-Q3

Bottom line: Material prices to decline 10–20% in H2, but production growth accelerates — shifting from "lab validation" to "pilot-scale ramp."

Part I: H1 — Build-Up Phase

1.1 National Standard Finalized

GB/T Solid-State Batteries for EVs Part 1: Terminology & Classification was officially published in July 2026. Key threshold: weight-loss rate ≤0.5% to qualify as "all-solid-state" (stricter than industry group standard of ≤1%). Terms like "semi-solid," "quasi-solid," and "pseudo-solid" are now prohibited in product marketing. This ends years of definitional ambiguity.

1.2 Technology: Cost, Performance & Cycle Life Breakthroughs

H1 saw a wave of manufacturing-ready advances — not lab one-offs, but reproducible, scalable data points targeting mass producibility.

1.3 Capacity: From Pilot Lines to GWh-Scale Production

Commissioned/online: Heyuan Lichuang (Central China's first SSB line), Taizhou Qingtao (3.5GWh), Xinjie Energy (2GWh Li-metal SSB), Jinyu New Energy (1.2GWh), Enli Power Anhui (2GWh), Cangzhou Zhonggu (two products nearing volume production).

Signed/breaking ground: Guoxiang Century ¥10B SSB complex (Shanghai Jiading), Qingtao ¥5B 20GWh project (Hohhot), Dejia Energy 3GWh (Shanghai Lingang), Jinheng Guneng 10GWh (Huanggang), Jusheng Energy ¥11B 20GWh base (June target).

Materials: Langu New Energy 10kt oxide electrolyte line in production; Yuxi Energyjie 10t sulfide electrolyte Phase I EIA filed; Gotion High-Tech 10kt sulfide electrolyte project under EIA.

1.4 Capital: Funding Frequency & Scale Both Rising

• Taland New Energy: >¥400M B+ round

• Qingtao Energy: HK IPO application filed

• ProLogium: SPAC listing announced (US$3.8B valuation)

• Multiple Series A/B rounds: Jinghe Energy, Heyi New Energy, Dejia Energy, Yinshi New Materials

• Zhong Shanshan (Nongfu Spring founder) invested in Zhejiang Zhibang Lithium via Yangshengtang, entering solid electrolyte materials

1.5 Strategic Consensus: "2027 Timeline" Fully Aligned

Beijing Auto Show marked the "vehicle-integration" inflection: BYD debuted sulfide all-SSB prototype vehicle, Chery Rhino S led with 600Wh/kg, MG brought semi-solid to ¥100k price segment.

Part II: H2 — Sprint Phase

2.1 Volume Production: Multiple SSB Vehicles Launching

• Dongfeng: Oxide-polymer composite SSB (350Wh/kg) enters volume production; demo fleet >3.2M km accumulated; extreme-cold testing complete

• Ganfeng Lithium: 500Wh/kg 10Ah cells in small-batch production; 320Wh/kg Si-based cells >1,000 cycles; accelerating into eVTOL and premium EVs

• Sunwoda: Smartphone semi-solid already in production; Gen-3 all-SSB (400Wh/kg) completed process validation

• SAIC/Qingtao: MG4X semi-solid model deliveries started; expanding to more models

2.2 Vehicle Integration: 2027 "Finals" Decided in H2

Tier 1 (GWh-scale capacity or 60Ah+ cells offline): BYD, CATL, Gotion, EVE, Dongfeng, Qingtao, WeLion, ProLogium, Xinjie

Tier 2 (pilot complete, ramping): GAC, Changan, Geely, SVOLT, Ganfeng Lithium Battery, Zenergy, Taland

Tier 3 (lab→pilot transition): Del, Jinlongyu, Narada, Pylon

Key H2 milestones: BYD 60Ah cell stability on production line; CATL 5GWh pilot yield ramp; Chery Rhino S on-vehicle validation (Exeed ES8); Gotion 2GWh line commissioning.

2.3 Materials: Sulfide Electrolyte "100t→1,000t" Leap

• Tinci Materials: 100t Li₂S + SSB electrolyte pilot line, Q3 commissioning

• Zhenhua New Materials: 1,000t SSB electrolyte pilot, Q3 commissioning

• Wanrun: Li₂S pilot line completion by end-June

• Tianshi Kefeng: sulfide electrolyte capacity from 60t → 200t by year-end

• Guanghua Tech: 300t/yr Li₂S production-ready

• Xingfa Group: 10kt/yr battery-grade P₂S₅ expected July commissioning

2.4 Energy Storage & eVTOL: Two Growth Vectors

Storage: Yuedianli Zhuhai 200MW/400MWh semi-solid standalone station approved; Dongchi Energy semi-solid ESS exported to Africa; Huadian Shanwei 200MW/400MWh grid-connected.

eVTOL: Enli Power "Sky" aviation-grade product (403Wh/kg) launched; Xinjie Energy equipped EHang 216 for cross-strait flight; CALB 360Wh/kg aviation cell completed airworthiness certification.

Part III: Overseas Markets — Building Up, But Half a Beat Behind

Key Developments

H2 watch: QS EagleLine ramp data + PowerCo validation; SolidPower pilot installation; ProLogium France build + Nasdaq listing; Nissan/Toyota pilot commissioning.

Overseas firms have deep technical foundations but lag Chinese leaders by 1–2 years in volume production. H2 remains "validation & line-building" — no substantive capacity threat to China's Tier 1.

Part IV: Outlook — 2027 Is "Year One," But 2026 Is the "Decisive Year"

2027 Forecast

• All-solid-state: "Small-batch vehicle integration year," not "scale commercialization year." Est. ~1GWh total SSB installations, mainly from BYD, CATL, Chery, Changan demo models.

• Semi-solid (hybrid solid-liquid): Scale volume production; price approaching liquid-battery parity (Gotion target: ¥1/Wh); becoming a standard option for mid-to-high-end vehicles.

• True scale commercialization (>50GWh/yr): expected post-2030, when supply chain matures and cost curves converge with liquid batteries.

Critical H2 Variables

1. Yield rate: Who crosses the 80% threshold on production lines first

2. Cost: Who compresses all-SSB cell cost below ¥2/Wh first (industry currently at ¥3–5/Wh+)

3. Customer lock-in: Who secures the most 2027 OEM design wins in H2

Conclusion

H1 completed the five-fold build-up: definition unified, standard established, technology定型 finalized, capacity landed, capital deployed.

H2 shifts from build-up to execution — production data, delivery volumes, yield ramps, and customer wins become the true test of each company's substance.

H1's conference tables determined H2's installation volumes; H2's installation volumes will determine the 2027 industry pecking order.

SMM Forecasts

Source: SMM Solid-State Battery Zone

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