Rhino All-Solid-State Battery, Sprinting Toward 600 Wh/kg: Chery Battery Night Revealed Its Solid-State Battery Strategy

Key Points:  On the evening of March 18, 2026, at Chery Automobile Battery Night 2026 in Wuhu, Anhui, Chery unveiled its Rhino all-solid-state battery technology. It had completed the development and pilot production of a 60Ah, 400Wh/kg all-solid-state battery cell and was advancing toward an ultra-high energy density of 600Wh/kg. Once commercially deployed, car models equipped with it are expected to achieve a driving range of over 1,500 km. At the same time, Chery was making an all-out push to complete vehicle validation of all-solid-state batteries in 2027: the all-solid-state battery Exeed ES8 will complete vehicle integration testing within one year; the semi-solid battery for the Exeed EX7 car model will be officially installed in vehicles in Q4 2026.

Introduction
On the evening of March 18, 2026, in Wuhu, Anhui, Chery Automobile Battery Night 2026, themed “Protection,” was grandly held, officially releasing Chery’s energy strategy, including Rhino battery technology. At this high-profile launch event, Chery not only showcased the Rhino battery product matrix covering both LFP and ternary cathode systems and three structural formats—short blade, prismatic, and large cylindrical cells (H series for hybrids, E series for BEVs, and S series for solid-state applications)—but also dropped a “bombshell” in the all-solid-state battery field by clearly announcing its mass-production timetable and technology roadmap. Gu Chunshan, Vice President of Chery Automobile, announced that within two years, the dedicated solid-state battery team will exceed 1,200 people, with more than 90% holding master’s or doctoral degrees, cumulative dedicated R&D funding will exceed 10 billion yuan, and future investment will have no upper limit. At present, Chery had completed the development and pilot production of a 60Ah, 400Wh/kg all-solid-state battery cell and was advancing toward 600Wh/kg. This means car models equipped with solid-state batteries are expected to achieve a driving range of over 1,500 km, while the company also set a target of conducting vehicle validation for all-solid-state batteries in 2027. From the R&D determination of “1,000 people and 10 billion yuan” to a pragmatic “two-step” strategy, Chery is sprinting at full speed on the next-generation solid-state battery track.



I. Technology Route


1.1 Composite Electrolyte Route: Oxide + Polymer
In selecting the technology route for solid-state batteries, Chery adopted an “oxide + polymer composite solid electrolyte” route, combining the advantages of both materials. This is a fully solid-state battery route with no liquid electrolyte. This route addressed the pain point of low ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes at room temperature—polymer routes typically require a high-temperature environment of 60°C to 80°C to reach usable conductivity, while Chery raised ionic conductivity to 10⁻³ S/cm through nanoscale ceramic doping and interface modification, reaching the same level as liquid electrolytes.

Notably, Chery adopted a “phased” strategy in its material system: the current 400Wh/kg version used a sulphide solid electrolyte + high-nickel ternary cathode, while the 600Wh/kg version under development used an in-situ polymerized solid electrolyte + lithium-rich manganese-based cathode.

1.2 Three Core Technologies: Deep Work at the Materials Level
In all-solid-state battery materials R&D, Chery announced three core breakthrough technologies:

Electrolyte Lattice Anchoring Technology: Reinforces the lattice structure and significantly improves the electrolyte’s air stability, maintaining over 93 ionic conductivity after standing for 24 hours at a dew point of -45°C (benchmark: ≥85).

Cathode Shield Technology: Strengthens the thermal safety barrier, achieving high-nickel thermal stability of ≥220°C (benchmark: ≥200°C).

Anode Stress Relief Technology: Reinforces the material support structure, achieving an expansion rate below 10 (benchmark: ≥30).

1.3 Process Breakthroughs: Three Major Manufacturing Technologies
At the manufacturing level, Chery overcame the key challenges in solid-state battery mass production:

Ultra-Thin Coating Technology: Precision coating control reduced functional coatings to below 20 μm, effectively improving battery cell energy density and performance.

Warm Isostatic Pressing Technology: Withstands ultra-high pressure of over 600 MPa, achieving internal battery cell density above 95 and significantly improving solid-state interfaces and conductivity efficiency.

Integrated Formation Technology: Enables intelligent automated control throughout the entire process, including heating, pressurization, and charge/discharge, increasing throughput by more than 50.

In addition, with AI support, Chery’s all-solid-state battery had completed over 1 million design iterations and optimization of more than 100 global key indicators.

II. Battery Overview


2.1 Rhino S Series: All-Solid-State Battery
As the solid-state-dedicated series in the Rhino battery family, the Rhino S all-solid-state battery used sulphide electrolyte and lithium metal anode technology. Its single-cell energy density exceeded 600Wh/kg, its driving range is expected to exceed 1,500 km, and it delivered outstanding performance with a driving range retention rate above 90 in extreme cold conditions of -30°C. In fast charging, relying on an 800V high-voltage platform, it can achieve 6C ultra-fast charging, adding 500 km of range in 5 minutes. In terms of safety, even after extreme tests such as nail penetration, electric drilling, and cutting off a corner, it can still charge and discharge normally, without fire or explosion.

2.2 Performance Indicator Comparison2.3 Car Model Deployment Plan
Chery clarified the implementation pathway for solid-state batteries: a “two-step” strategy in which semi-solid-state batteries will be installed in vehicles first, while all-solid-state batteries will be developed in parallel. The semi-solid-state battery version of the Exeed EX7 will be officially installed in vehicles in Q4 2026; the all-solid-state battery will first be installed in the Exeed ES8, with vehicle installation testing to be completed within one year. Positioned as a performance-oriented luxury large five-seat SUV, the Exeed ES8 debuted with aviation-grade EMB brake-by-wire and the AI Lingxi Smart Cabin 2.0, paired with the Flying Fish Chassis 3.0 and Snow Leopard All-Wheel Drive 2.0, making it an important platform for the deployment of Chery’s all-solid-state battery technology.



III. Planned Capacity
3.1 Pilot Line Progress
Chery has already taken a key step in the industrialisation of solid-state batteries. In February 2026, Chery completed and put into operation China’s first 0.5 Gwh all-solid-state battery pilot line, becoming the first automaker in China to bring a self-developed all-solid-state battery pilot line into operation. The pilot line can achieve continuous production of 60 Ah-class all-solid-state battery cells and batch rollout of PACK sample packs, with both yield and consistency meeting automotive-grade requirements.

3.2 Mass Production Timetable
Chery clarified the industrialisation periods for solid-state batteries:

2026: launch installation of all-solid-state batteries for designated operational vehicles (with taxis and ride-hailing vehicles validated first), and complete continuous production of 60 Ah-class battery cells and rollout of PACK sample packs

2027: is expected to plan a Gwh-scale mass production line (capacity: 2-5 Gwh), covering demand for 200,000 household vehicles and achieving large-scale commercial launch

2028: achieve a 30 penetration rate of solid-state batteries across Chery’s full range of new energy car models

In terms of cost control, Chery targeted reducing costs to 30 below the industry average through production line optimisation and materials innovation.

IV. Company Overview and Patent Status
4.1 Eight Years of Deep Commitment: R&D Journey
Chery had been deeply engaged in the solid-state battery field for eight years, with cumulative investment exceeding 5 billion yuan, building a core technology system covering the entire value chain, including solid electrolytes, interface impedance optimisation, lithium anode protection, and battery cell packaging. At this Battery Night event, Chery further stepped up its commitment: within two years, its dedicated solid-state battery team will exceed 1,200 people, with more than 90 accounted for by master’s and doctoral degree holders; cumulative special R&D funding will exceed 10 billion yuan, and future investment in all-solid-state batteries will have no upper limit.

4.2 Patent Portfolio
As of March 2026, Chery had cumulatively filed 217-237 solid-state battery-related patents (with slight discrepancies across different data sources), of which more than 70 were invention patents. Its patent portfolio covers the entire technology chain, including solid electrolyte materials, interface optimisation, lithium anode protection, battery cell structures, and manufacturing processes. 4.3 R&D System
Chery's solid-state battery R&D was led by its subsidiary Anwa New Energy, jointly advanced with DEYI Energy, while also securing core technology licensing from 24M Technologies, an MIT-incubated company in the US, thereby forming a dual-engine model driven by in-house R&D and external cooperation.

V. Financing Cooperation
5.1 Joint Venture With CATL
In the solid-state battery field, Chery adopted a dual-insurance strategy of “in-house R&D with one hand, tying up with CATL with the other.” In 2025, Chery and CATL, the global leader in power batteries, jointly established “Shidai Chery” with a registered capital of 2 billion yuan, focusing on the mass production of solid-state batteries. CATL achieved mass production and delivery of 500 Wh/kg condensed-state batteries in January 2026, and the cooperation between the two sides is expected to accelerate the industrialisation of solid-state batteries.

5.2 Investment in Upstream Material Enterprises
Through its venture capital platform Ruicheng Fund, Chery actively expanded into upstream core material segments for solid-state batteries. In January 2026, Ruicheng Fund led an angel round financing of tens of millions of yuan for Hefei Yinshi New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., with Vertex Ventures, under Temasek, and Anhui province State-owned Capital Holding Group participating, while Xiaomi Strategic Investment continued to increase its investment.

Yinshi New Materials is a high-tech enterprise focused on sulphide solid electrolytes, jointly incubated by a research team from Yanshan University and industry executives. Its core products include a small-particle electrolyte series (specifically adapted for the cathode side), a medium-particle electrolyte series (focused on dedicated use in electrolyte layers), and electrolyte membrane products. The company’s Phase I facility had an annual supply capability of 30 mt and is expected to build a new production line for sulphide solid electrolytes with annual capacity of 300-500 mt in H2 2026.

This investment by Ruicheng Fund was intended to help Yinshi New Materials establish a closed-loop application model spanning “materials-batteries-complete vehicles” and promote deep integration between core materials and vehicle application scenarios.

VI. Company Updates
6.1 Carbon Neutrality Targets and Green Ecosystem
At Battery Night, Chery Automobile Chairman Yin Tongyue clarified the company’s carbon neutrality targets: by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions from single-vehicle manufacturing are to be reduced by more than 60 from 2023 levels; by 2037, Chery is to achieve carbon neutrality in its own operations; and by 2047, it is to achieve carbon neutrality across the entire value chain. Yin Tongyue said: “Chery aims to drive the stake of batteries into the ground, not only to equip automobiles with a stronger green ‘heart,’ but also to solve the issues of green ‘blood’ and ‘genes’ across the entire industry chain.”

6.2 Smart Energy Ecosystem Layout
Chery launched a new smart energy ecosystem featuring the six-in-one integration of “vehicle-energy storage-charging-grid-cloud-carbon” and coordination across generation-grid-load-storage. It had reserved 8 core technologies—“wind, solar, hydrogen, ammonia, storage, charging, swapping, and discharging”—and developed core products such as “Energy Cube,” “Xunlong Flash Charging,” and “virtual power plant.” In energy replenishment networks, Chery launched its “Xunlong Flash Charging” technology and is expected to build more than 20,000 charging stations supporting the V2G standard by 2029, with the first batch comprising 100 Xunlong Flash Charging stations with V2G functions in 10 cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hefei.

6.3 Zero-Carbon Factory Plan
Chery currently had 7 green zero-carbon factories and is expected to increase the number to 25 by 2030; the world’s first off-grid E-Fuel long duration energy storage (LDES) zero-carbon demonstration park powered by 100 green energy is expected to be completed in 2028.

6.4 Strategic Foresight: Controlled Nuclear Fusion Layout
It is worth noting that at Battery Night, Chery also announced its strategic move into controlled nuclear fusion, investing in “artificial sun” R&D and demonstrating its forward-looking vision for the future energy revolution. SMM forecasts that all-solid-state battery shipments will reach 13.5 GWh in 2028, while semi-solid-state battery shipments will reach 160 GWh.

Demand: Global lithium-ion battery demand will reach 2,800 GWh in 2030. From 2024 to 2030, CAGR by segment: EVs (11), energy storage (27), consumer electronics (10).

The global penetration rate of solid-state batteries was around 0.1 in 2025. The penetration rate of all-solid-state batteries is expected to reach around 4 by 2030, and the global penetration rate of solid-state batteries may approach 10 by 2035.

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