China’s battery giants expect solid-state battery delays beyond 2030, push back on hype
As investors continue to pour into China’s booming all-solid-state battery sector, industry leaders are stepping in with a dose of realism. At the 2025 World Power Battery Conference in Sichuan, experts from China’s top battery and automotive companies warned that the technology, hailed by many as the next revolution in electric mobility, remains far from being ready for large-scale commercialisation, as reported by First Finance.
Wu Chengxin, vice chairman of the China All-Solid-State Battery Industry-University-Research Collaboration Innovation Platform, stated at a pre-conference high-level forum that, while the industry is striving to achieve breakthroughs, the technology still faces numerous challenges. He emphasised that significant scientific analysis, equipment development, and design work remain before commercialisation can be achieved, describing it as a long-term research process.
China has maintained the world’s largest power battery production capacity for eight consecutive years. Between January and September 2025, domestic power battery sales reached 786 GWh, with exports exceeding 129 GWh, representing year-over-year increases of 48.9% and 32.75%, respectively. Despite this strong growth, experts warned that the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries is still years away.
Yang Hongxin, Chairman and CEO of SVOLT Energy Technology, stated that small-scale demonstration vehicle installations may be feasible by 2027. Still, large-scale commercialization will require further cost reductions and a more mature supply chain. He estimated that actual mass production may not arrive until after 2030.
Changan Automobile Vice President and Deepal Chairman Deng Chenghao offered a more conservative estimate, suggesting that large-scale commercialization by 2030 would be “the most optimistic” scenario, and that 2035 might be a more realistic target. He cautioned against exaggerated expectations, noting that online discussions often overstate small research progress as breakthroughs. Deng added that both liquid and semi-solid battery technologies still have significant potential and should not be dismissed prematurely.
Semi-solid batteries, in particular, are advancing quickly toward application. Yang said that for consumers planning to buy cars in the next three to five years, existing liquid and semi-solid batteries remain excellent choices. Deng also argued that hybrid solid-liquid batteries represent an evolutionary step in improving safety and energy density, with ongoing innovation opportunities in liquid systems.
Zhang Jinhua, chairman of the China Society of Automotive Engineers, presented the 2030 Power Battery Development Outlook report at the conference’s opening, predicting that hybrid solid-liquid batteries will reach large-scale commercial use by 2030, while all-solid-state batteries will complete pilot verification and limited deployment around the same time.
At the event, Wan Gang, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, called for continued innovation in high-safety, high-energy liquid batteries and for sustained efforts to overcome technical bottlenecks in solid-state and hybrid systems.
The 2025 conference featured six specialized sessions on battery recycling, storage innovation, international logistics, and industry cooperation. A total of 180 new projects were signed, with a combined investment value of 86.13 billion yuan (approximately 11.9 billion USD), spanning power batteries, new energy storage, photovoltaics, and smart electric vehicles.
