Solid-state battery: CATL now testing 20 Ah cells, pilot production planned for 2027
Chinese battery maker CATL is making progress on solid-state cells, moving from 10 Ah samples to test runs with 20 Ah cells. Large-scale production is still targeted for around 2030.
Symbolic image · Photo: Matti Blume / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Chinese battery maker CATL has given an update on its solid-state battery development. Answering investor questions on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's Hudongyi platform, the company said it had moved from a 10-amp-hour-class validation platform to test runs with 20-amp-hour samples. Pilot production is still planned for 2027, with large-scale production targeted for around 2030. More than 1,000 employees work on the project.
The program targets an energy density of about 500 watt-hours per kilogram at cell level, but CATL has not confirmed that figure as a specification for mass-produced cells, according to Car News China. Unconfirmed reports say the company is focusing on sulfide-based electrolytes. CATL did not disclose output volumes, automotive customers or a vehicle launch date. In June, Chief Executive Robin Zeng said broad deployment was still several years away and that solid-state batteries would likely appear first in premium vehicles.
The main engineering hurdle is scaling from 20 Ah samples to the 60 amp-hour cells needed for cars. Sulfide solid-state cells require high compression to keep their interfaces in contact and currently cost three to five times as much as conventional lithium-ion cells. In June, CATL rated its technology at level 4 on the nine-level technology readiness scale, covering lab validation and prototypes. BYD, Toyota, Factorial and QuantumScape are among others developing the technology.