Solid‑state batteries have been touted as the breakthrough that will revolutionise electric vehicles, offering greater energy density, quicker charging and enhanced safety compared with the lithium‑ion cells that power most cars today. Yet the chairman of the planet’s biggest battery manufacturer warns buyers not to get their hopes up.
CATL chairman Dr. Robin Zeng told Caijing Magazine (via CarNewsChina) that large‑scale commercial roll‑out of solid‑state batteries is unlikely before 2030. The firm has set a benchmark of one million vehicles to make mass production viable – a target that remains out of reach for the near future. When solid‑state cells finally hit the market, Zeng said they will initially appear only in premium models priced above 250,000 yuan (about $37,000).
The manufacturing hurdle
The key difficulty lies at the solid‑state interface inside the cell. CATL presently employs warm isostatic pressing at 6,000 atmospheres to bond components, but materials with differing compaction densities tend to develop structural misalignments under such pressure. These irregularities increase internal resistance and speed up cell degradation, rendering high‑volume production impractical for now. Zeng placed all‑solid‑state chemistry at level four on the nine‑point Technology Readiness Level (TRL), indicating the technology is still in laboratory validation and prototype engineering stages.
What CATL is doing meanwhile
While research on solid‑state technology continues, CATL is leaning on conventional liquid‑electrolyte batteries to satisfy current demand. The company is also investigating sodium‑ion chemistry as an alternative platform to lessen reliance on lithium supplies.
The cautionary note from CATL’s chairman carries weight given the company’s size and its sway over global battery supply chains. Although other manufacturers and research groups keep making bold claims about solid‑state breakthroughs, the firm that would actually have to mass‑produce them is drawing a careful line.