CATL and SAIC join solid-state electrolyte project in Beijing, backed by multiple automakers
A solid-state electrolyte pilot and validation project involving CATL, SAIC Motor, and multiple other Chinese automakers and battery manufacturers has received regulatory approval in Beijing, according to a public notice released by the Huairou District Ecology and Environment Bureau. The project forms part of a broader industry push in China to accelerate research and pilot-scale development of solid-state battery technologies, supported by emerging national standards and growing industrial investment.
The project, officially titled the “All-Solid-State Electrolyte Pilot Production and Testing Validation Capability Construction Project,” is led by Guolian Automotive Power Battery Research Institute Co., Ltd. Rather than producing complete solid-state battery cells, the project focuses on the research, testing, and validation of solid-state electrolyte materials, which are a core component required for all-solid-state batteries and are critical to their performance and safety. The project is backed by a consortium that includes a central state-owned enterprise, and CATL and SAIC Motor participate as shareholders through this consortium structure.
Guolian Automotive Power Battery Research Institute brings together central and local state-owned capital, major automakers, and companies across the battery supply chain. Its shareholders include Youyan Technology Group, a company fully owned by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission under China’s central government, as well as FAW Group, Dongfeng Motor, BAIC Group, Changan Automobile, GAC Group, Yutong Bus, Huachen (Brilliance Auto Group), CATL, BTR, Neusoft Reach, and Tianjin Lishen. Another shareholder, Huading New Power Fund, is backed by local state-owned entities, including Nanning Industrial Investment Group and Sichuan Energy Group. Guolian has a long history as a collaborative innovation platform in China’s battery sector, participating in both national and local government programs to advance battery technology.
According to the approval documents, the project will be located in the Yanqi Economic Development Zone in Beijing’s Huairou District. An existing idle industrial building at the site will be repurposed for laboratory and pilot-scale use. The construction plan includes installing a solid-state battery key materials experimental line, supported by high-precision material characterization equipment and intelligent control systems. A total of 103 equipment sets are planned for procurement.
The facility is designed to reach a research and pilot output capacity of approximately 25 tons of solid-state electrolyte materials per year. The project is positioned as a pilot-scale and validation platform rather than a commercial mass-production facility. Analysts note that while full-scale commercialization of solid-state batteries remains several years away, pilot-scale projects like this are essential to building the industrial knowledge base and materials supply chain.
Solid-state electrolytes are widely regarded in the battery industry as a critical component of all-solid-state batteries, which replace liquid electrolytes with solid materials. While all-solid-state batteries are often discussed as a long-term direction for automotive power batteries, large-scale commercialization has not yet been achieved. Technical challenges remain, including high solid–solid interfacial resistance, lithium dendrite formation, and mechanical stress accumulation during repeated charge-discharge cycles. From an industrial perspective, the supply chain for all-solid-state batteries is still developing, and production costs remain high. China has also recently released a consultation draft of its first national standard for solid-state batteries, indicating that regulatory and policy frameworks are beginning to support the sector.
Within this context, the newly approved Beijing project reflects a broader trend in China’s battery sector toward building shared pilot-scale and validation infrastructure for solid-state battery materials. The participation of multiple automakers and battery manufacturers suggests an emphasis on collaborative development of solid-state electrolyte technologies, rather than near-term vehicle deployment or commercialization. Growing capital investment and research activity nationwide indicate that solid-state battery technology is becoming a strategic priority for China’s EV and energy storage industries.
Source: Battery Industry Network
