Six companies, including CATL, BYD, FAW, SAIC, WeLion and Geely, may receive basic government R&D support, according to China Daily.

China will likely spend about RMB 6 billion yuan ($830 million) on all-solid-state battery R&D, state-owned China Daily said in a report today, citing multiple sources.

Six companies, including CATL, BYD, China FAW Group, SAIC Motor Corp, Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology and Geely Auto Group, will likely receive basic R&D support from the government, the report said.

The unprecedented program is led by government ministries, and eligible companies will be encouraged to conduct R&D on all-solid-state battery-related technologies, according to the report.

After a rigorous screening process, the program is divided into seven categories focusing on different solid-state battery technology routes, including polymers and sulfides, the report said.

All-solid-state batteries, with their potentially high energy density, safety, and low-cost advantages, are widely recognized as the development trend of next-generation power batteries, and countries around the world are currently increasing their investments, the report noted.

Compared with the billions of yuan of investment in basic R&D itself, the project will promote companies and industrial chain players to ramp up investment in all-solid-state battery R&D, the report said, citing unnamed industry sources.

This has the potential to boost a market worth RMB trillion yuan, injecting new momentum into the global green transition and worldwide sustainable development, the source said.

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio (NYSE: NIO) unveiled its 150-kWh semi-solid-state battery when it launched its ET7 sedan at the Nio Day 2020 event on January 9, 2021, giving this new battery technology its first widespread attention.

The cells for this semi-solid state battery come from local startup WeLion, which began delivering 360 Wh/kg lithium battery cells to Nio on June 30, 2023.

As it is a new technology, the 150-kWh battery pack is currently costly, with Nio co-founder and president Qin Lihong mentioning in February 2023 that the pack would cost about the same as an ET5 sedan.

The ET5 is Nio's least expensive model at the moment, with a starting price of RMB 298,000 including a 75-kWh standard-range battery.

Nio conducted trial operations of the 150-kWh battery pack this month, with official operations set to begin on June 1, according to its previously announced plans.

Local battery giants are also stepping up their research and development of solid-state battery technology.

On May 17, Gotion High-tech (SHE: 002074) unveiled Gemstone, an all-solid-state battery, announcing its formal entry into the new battery field.

The battery cell has an energy density of 350 Wh/kg, or 800 Wh/L, which is 40 percent higher than mainstream lithium ternary batteries, Gotion said.

Gotion's chief engineer for the solid-state battery project, Pan Ruijun, speaking with media, including CnEVPost, on May 17 that a conservative estimate is the all-solid-state battery will begin small-volume production in 2027, with mass production expected in 2030.

Wu Kai, chief scientist at CATL said on April 28 that the company is targeting small-volume production of all-solid-state batteries by 2027, marking the first time that the battery maker has announced a mass-production timetable for the new battery.

CATL is an industry leader in solid-state batteries with a large technology inventory, a company spokesperson said in an interview with CnEVPost earlier this month.

Another battery maker, Sunwoda, said it has completed development of all-solid-state batteries with energy densities of 400 Wh/kg or more, according to the report in China Daily today.

Sunwoda plans to mass-produce the solid-state battery in 2026, with an expected capacity of 1 GWh, the report noted.

($1 = RMB 7.2475)

Nio starts trial run of 150-kWh semi-solid battery packs, official operation to begin on Jun 1