All-solid-state battery development accelerates amid policy and industry progress

According to Securities Daily, the A-share lithium battery sector rallied sharply on 9 October, with all-solid-state battery related stocks driving the broader battery segment higher, and multiple shares hitting daily trading limits.

Seven central government departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have jointly issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of New Battery Industry, setting medium and long-term targets for China’s battery sector. The plan targets steady expansion of the domestic new battery industry by 2030. 

It expects strengthened whole-chain innovation, breakthroughs in advanced electrode materials, new electrolytes and high-end auxiliary materials, plus major advances in new battery systems. 

All-solid-state batteries will achieve initial large-scale application, long-life lithium batteries will reach 15,000 charge-discharge cycles, and leading manufacturers will bring product defect rates down to the PPB level. The document also mandates continuous improvements to lithium battery standards and the formulation of specifications for all-solid-state and sodium-ion batteries.

All-solid-state batteries replace liquid electrolytes with solid materials, delivering gains in energy density and safety compared with conventional lithium-ion cells. Multiple vehicle and battery firms have released timelines for research, pilot testing and commercialisation. 

BYD Company Limited plans to launch demonstration vehicle fitting of all-solid-state batteries around 2027. Chery Automobile Company Limited will fit its Rhino solid-liquid hybrid batteries to vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2026, with all-solid-state battery vehicle trials to start in 2027.

Farasis Energy (Ganzhou) Co., Ltd. has moved its all-solid-state battery work from laboratory trials to pilot production. The firm is building a pilot line for sulphide all-solid-state batteries, with 60Ah sulphide cells scheduled to roll off production lines by the end of the year. Its second-generation sulphide all-solid-state battery has completed development with an energy density of 500Wh/kg, and a third generation will target higher energy density. 

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited maintains sustained investment in all-solid-state technology and expects small-scale production in 2027. Upstream material manufacturers are upgrading processes for solid electrolytes, high-nickel precursors and lithium metal feedstock.

Industry operating data shows six sampled battery manufacturers recorded combined production scheduling of 214.6GWh for October, a year-on-year rise of 57% and a 4% month-on-month increase. Output planning for cathode, anode and electrolyte materials also rose across the upstream supply chain. 

Higher production scheduling reflects stronger downstream orders and rising operating rates, with upstream material suppliers expanding stock preparation.