CATL's Solid-State Battery Layout – Semi-Solid First, All-Solid-State to Begin Small-Scale Production in 2027]

SMM November 26 News:

Key Points: CATL adopts a dual-track strategy focusing on semi-solid-state and all-solid-state batteries. Condensed matter batteries have been applied in aviation and high-end EVs; mass production of semi-solid-state batteries is planned for 2026, with small-batch production of all-solid-state batteries in 2027, targeting scaled application before 2030.

As the world's largest battery enterprise, CATL ranks among the global leaders in shipments and market share for lithium batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and solid-state batteries. Its solid-state battery business includes two directions: semi-solid-state batteries and all-solid-state batteries. Semi-solid-state batteries follow the current lithium battery business model, while all-solid-state batteries represent a completely new business model. The following article explores the solid-state battery business layout of the global battery leader, CATL.

I. Technology Roadmap: Rapid Entry with Semi-Solid-State + Leading R&D in All-Solid-State
Cathode: High-Nickel NMC; Anode: Silicon-Based/Lithium Metal; Electrolyte: Sulfide/Others
1. All-Solid-State Battery: Sulfide Route, 10⁻² S/cm + 500 Wh/kg
Ionic Conductivity: Sulfide electrolyte reaches 10⁻² S/cm (compared to only 10⁻⁴ S/cm for traditional liquid batteries), supporting high C-rate charging and discharging.
Energy Density: Lab samples exceed 500 Wh/kg (liquid batteries ~350 Wh/kg), increasing driving range by over 40%.
Safety: Passes nail penetration and hot box tests without fire or explosion, completely resolving thermal runaway risks.
Technical Highlights: Interface Optimization + Dry Electrode Process + Isostatic Pressing Integrated Forming Technology
Interface Optimization: Nano rare-earth additives enhance electrode/electrolyte interface stability and reduce contact impedance.
Process Innovation: Dry electrode process + isostatic pressing integrated forming technology simplifies production and improves yield rate.
2. Semi-Solid-State Battery: Condensed Matter Technology + 500 Wh/kg
Liquid Electrolyte Proportion: Retains 5%-10% liquid electrolyte, balancing safety and cost.
Application Scenarios: Powers the EHang EH216 manned aircraft, entering aviation power testing phase.
High-End EVs: The NIO ET7 is equipped with a 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery pack, achieving a tested driving range of over 1,000 km.

II. Mass Production Plan: Semi-Solid-State Mass Production in 2026 + All-Solid-State Small Batch in 2027 + All-Solid-State Takeoff around 2030

2023: Launched condensed matter battery with a maximum energy density of 500 Wh/kg.
2025: Achieved scale breakthrough and mass production for semi-solid-state batteries; completed the first demonstration line at the Hefei base with investment exceeding 10 billion yuan. Corresponding car models launched successively; capacity and shipments ramped up rapidly, accumulating engineering and market data. All-solid-state battery samples submitted for national testing. At the 2025 World Power Battery Conference, Robin Zeng revealed that the battery swapping system can also flexibly accommodate solid-state batteries, "allowing users to always enjoy the most cutting-edge technology."
2026: All-solid-state battery technology iterates and improves, preparing for mass production of products above 60Ah (entered 20Ah sample trial production phase in November 2024).
2027: Small-batch production of all-solid-state batteries begins, targeting a technology maturity level of 7-8 (where 9 represents mass production); capacity is approximately 5 GWh, for trial installation in high-end car models (e.g., Mercedes-Benz cooperation project) and special equipment.
Around 2030: All-solid-state batteries enter the stage of scaled mass production and application, with cost and yield rate meeting targets, gradually replacing some traditional lithium and semi-solid-state batteries. Initial cost is 3-5 times that of liquid batteries, with plans to reduce it to 1.2 yuan/Wh by 2030 through dry process technology and material localisation (e.g., self-production of lithium sulfide).

III. Application Scenarios: From High-End Models to Emerging Applications
1. High Power: Cooperation with Leading Automakers
All-Solid-State Battery: Deep cooperation with Tesla and BMW to promote automotive-grade applications; cooperation with Mercedes-Benz for trial installation in high-end models (2027).
Semi-Solid-State Battery: The NIO ET7 is equipped with a 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery pack (produced by the joint venture "NIO Time"), achieving a tested range of over 1,000 km. The corresponding Li Auto MEGA model has a range of 1,080 km, with mass production planned for 2026.
2. Low-Altitude Economy: eVTOL Products
Cooperating with Fengfei Aviation to develop aviation-grade solid-state batteries, expected to drive an incremental market of 10 billion yuan by 2030.
Condensed matter batteries power the EHang EH216 manned aircraft, which has entered the aviation power testing phase.

IV. CATL Profile and Updates
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited is a global leader in new energy innovation technology, committed to providing first-class solutions and services for global new energy applications. Regarding battery capacity, capacity is expected to exceed 800 GWh by the end of 2025, with new effective capacity additions exceeding 400 GWh in 2026; total capacity is projected to climb to 1.2 TWh by year-end 2026. [Solid-State Battery: CATL's All-Solid-State Battery Ranks Among the Global Leaders] On November 12, 2025, Zeng Yuqun, Chairman of CATL, stated at the World Power Battery Conference that CATL is at the forefront globally in the research and industrialisation progress of all-solid-state batteries, and its battery swapping system can flexibly accommodate solid-state batteries.

[Solid-State Battery Current Collector: Guangdong Jiayuan Signs Copper Foil Supply Agreement with CATL] On November 5, 2025, Guangdong Jiayuan Technology Co., Ltd. announced that the company signed a Cooperation Framework Agreement with CATL on November 4, under which CATL will designate Jiayuan Technology as a preferred supplier of copper foil products based on actual demand. Jiayuan Technology's copper foil products already cover the copper foil requirements for different technical routes of semi-solid-state and all-solid-state batteries and have begun batch supplies to multiple enterprises. The company's shipments of copper foil for solid-state batteries are expected to exceed 100 mt in 2025, accounting for 0.1%.

[Solid-State Battery: CATL's Sulfide Solid Electrolyte Patent Published] On October 21, 2025, CATL added a new invention patent titled "Sulfide Solid Electrolyte and Its Preparation Method, Solid Electrolyte Membrane, Electrode Pole Piece, Solid-State Battery, and Power Consumption Device". This sulfide solid electrolyte includes an argyrodite-type crystal phase; the argyrodite-type crystal phase comprises Li, P, S, X, and M elements, where X is a halogen; X includes one or more of Cl and Br, and M includes at least one of Sb and Sn; denoting the atomic ratio of X to P in the argyrodite-type crystal phase as R_X/P, R_X/P > 1; denoting the atomic ratio of S to P as R_S/P, R_S/P > 4.1. This sulfide solid electrolyte can reduce the hydrogen sulfide release of the sulfide electrolyte in an aqueous environment while maintaining good ionic conductivity.

[Solid-State Battery: Boxinyuan's kt-Level Solid-State Battery Silicon Carbon Anode Material Project Begins Trial Production in August] On July 30, 2025, it was reported that Boxinyuan (Zibo) New Material Technology Co., Ltd. is fully advancing its kt-level solid-state battery silicon carbon anode material project. The core aspects of the project include purchasing a total of 45 units (sets) of equipment, such as vapor deposition, carbonisation, and activation pore-forming equipment, and constructing 15 silicon carbon composite deposition production lines. Since June, the required production equipment has been arriving on site successively and is expected to be fully installed, debugged, and enter the trial production phase by early August. Currently, the produced samples have received preliminary recognition from leading domestic industry enterprises such as Huawei and CATL. The project, with an estimated investment of 200 million yuan, is planned for completion between 2025 and 2027. It aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 1,000 mt of new-type silicon carbon anode material and is expected to generate an annual output value exceeding 100 million yuan.

According to SMM projections, all-solid-state battery shipments are expected to reach 13.5 GWh by 2028, while semi-solid-state battery shipments are forecast to reach 160 GWh. By 2030, global lithium-ion battery demand is estimated to be around 2,800 GWh, with the compound annual growth rates from 2024 to 2030 for lithium-ion battery demand in EVs, ESS, and consumer electronics at approximately 11%, 27%, and 10%, respectively. The global penetration rate of solid-state batteries is projected to be around 0.1% in 2025, and is expected to reach about 4% for all-solid-state batteries by 2030. By 2035, the global penetration rate of solid-state batteries may approach 10%.

**Note:** For further details or inquiries regarding solid-state battery development, please contact:
Phone: 021-20707860 (or WeChat: 13585549799)
Contact: Chaoxing Yang. Thank you!