XPeng's IRON Robot with Solid-State Battery Enters Small-Batch Production, Aims for 2027 Global Deployment

Zhongke Hongtai (Anhui) New Energy has broken ground on a base in Tongling, Anhui, for 1GWh per year of lithium-metal, ultra-low-temperature solid-state batteries and 2GWh per year of energy storage and power battery system integration. Once operational, the project will give the company a full chain from cell R&D and manufacturing to system integration, marking its full entry into the solid-state battery track.

On October 27, CATL responded to investor questions on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's Hudongyi platform regarding the progress of its Hefei sulphide solid-state pilot base, stating that the company continues to make firm investments in all-solid-state batteries, its technology is at an industry-leading level, and small-batch production is expected to be achieved in 2027. This statement is consistent with the pace previously disclosed by the company: small-scale trial production will begin in 2027, with large-scale mass production expected around 2030.

Solid-state batteries are unlikely to achieve mass production in the near term. The key bottlenecks remain the solid–solid interface and processes that have not yet been fixed. Rather than pursuing blind capacity expansion, the industrial chain should prioritize interface engineering and cross-licensable patents, while using pilot lines to advance technology, solid-liquid hybrid products to sustain cash flow, and patents and standards to secure future positioning.