WELION New Energy, JAC-backed Yiwei Automotive Technology ink agreement to cooperate in semi-solid-state battery technologies

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On April 22, Beijing WELION New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. ("WELION New Energy") signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Yiwei Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. ("Yiwei Automotive Technology"), the operating entity behind JAC Group's new energy vehicle brand "Yiwei 钇为". 

Both parties will collaborate on the development of vehicles applying the 4695 large cylindrical semi-solid-state battery cells based on the the DI platform - the second-generation electric platform of JAC's Yiwei brand. Those vehicles will utilize in-situ solid-state technology to achieve a range of 600 km to 1000 km per full charge, set for mass production by 2025.

Yiwei Automotive Technology is a subsidiary of JAC Group, focusing primarily on the A-segment electric vehicle market under the product brand "JAC Yiwei". Adhering to the R&D of cylindrical cells, JAC Yiwei has been studying on the applications of the 18650, 21700, and 4695 cylindrical battery cells for years.

On January 5, JAC Yiwei officially delivered the world's first mass-produced vehicle equipped with sodium-ion batteries to customers and has initiated relevant R&D works early in 2021.

WELION New Energy is the solid-state battery production and incubation center of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It has completed multiple rounds of financing, with investors including Xiaomi Corporation, NIO Capital, Huawei, and others. Meanwhile, the company has also established strategic partnerships with several automotive manufacturers such as NIO and Geely.