Chinese company showcases solid-state battery, promises mass production in 2026

A Chinese company called Penghui Energy in Guangzhou has announced its first solid-state battery and it may beat established players to the market. Its solution has an energy density of 280 Wh/kg, which isn't particularly impressive given that the current top-tier lithium-ion batteries can go up to 250 Wh/kg, but the catch here is that it costs just 15% more than your average standard battery cell used in today's EVs.

The company said it has achieved a remarkable breakthrough in production. There are currently three ways to produce a solid-state battery: polymer, sulfur/halide and oxide. Penghui Energy is pursuing the latter route and has already solved all hurdles related to the production of oxide solid-state electrolytes.

The oxide electrolytes require high temperatures for the manufacturing process, making the ceramic material (also used in the batteries) too fragile. So, the manufacturer came up with a wet coating process for the electrolyte. This process has solved not only the temperature issues but also simplified the production.

The new process brings down the production cost to that of a standard lithium-ion battery. It's now just 15% higher, but Penghui Energy believes it can achieve parity in the next three to five years by further optimizing the process and the handling of materials.

The current battery promises a lifespan of 600 recharge cycles and operational temperatures ranging between -20°C and around 85°C. As we said, its energy density is 280 Wh/kg for now, but it may increase to 300 Wh/kg by the time it enters mass production, which would be more significant upgrade over current solutions.

Speaking of, Penghui Energy plans to kick off a small pilot research program and small-scale production next year, while a full mass production facility will go operational in 2026. With most major players targeting 2027, this relatively unknown company may just be among the first in the market.

Source(in Chinese)