CHINA has completed its first high-capacity all-solid-state battery production line and is conducting small-batch tests, according to multiple media reports. Built by automaker GAC Group, the new production line is capable of mass-producing all-solid-state batteries with capacities above 60 ampere-hours (Ah) — a threshold considered by industry experts as sufficient for automotive applications. Until now, most such vehicle batteries worldwide have been in the 20–40 Ah range. Industry sources indicate that Chinese authorities are preparing to strengthen policy and financial support for the research and development of all-solid-state batteries. These measures are intended to accelerate breakthroughs and steer resources toward advancing materials, technical pathways, safety performance, and large-scale manufacturing and application of all-solid-state batteries. All-solid-state batteries are a type of power battery used in electric vehicles. Compared to the lithium-ion batteries currently dominant in EVs, they offer higher energy density, greater safety, faster charging, and lower fire risk, making them widely seen as a disruptive technology. Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor at Tsinghua University, noted that China is progressing “faster than expected” in both the research and industrialization of all-solid-state batteries this year. “The gap between China and leading countries in all-solid-state batteries has narrowed sharply, and China is already ahead in certain areas. The next two to three years will be critical for selecting industrial pathways, with the goal of achieving commercialization by 2030,” he said. Several Chinese EV and battery makers have announced accelerated efforts this year in manufacturing all-solid-state batteries. Qi Hongzhong, head of new energy and power R&D at a GAC research institute, said the company plans small-batch vehicle tests of all-solid-state batteries by 2026, with gradual mass production expected between 2027 and 2030. BYD, China’s largest EV manufacturer, stated that it aims to begin small-scale production of sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries by 2027 and incorporate them into its mainstream EV models by 2030. Gotion High-Tech, a leading battery producer, has begun road testing its next-generation all-solid-state batteries after completing the country’s first fully localized 0.2 gigawatt-hour pilot production line. Automaker SAIC Motor Corp announced Friday that its partner Qingtao has completed the main production line for an all-solid-state battery plant in Shanghai, with sample cells expected by the end of this year. According to China International Capital Corp., China’s new all-solid-state battery equipment market could reach 2.5 billion yuan (US$352 million) by 2027, and grow to 27.3 billion yuan by 2030. China also established the China All-Solid-State Battery Collaborative Innovation Platform last year — a consortium bringing together nearly all of the country’s battery makers and automakers as part of a unified, government-led initiative. Nevertheless, the commercialization timeline for such batteries in China remains under discussion. Most industry insiders expect small-batch installation in EVs to begin as early as 2027, with broader commercialization starting after 2030.(SD-Agencies) | 