China completes production line for new electric vehicle batteries

China has completed its first high-capacity all-solid-state battery production line, marking a step toward commercializing a technology seen as key to extending electric-vehicle range and improving safety.

The line, built by the State-owned automaker GAC Group, is undergoing small-batch trial production, and is the first in the country capable of producing solid-state batteries with capacities above 60 ampere-hours for automotive use. 

All-solid-state batteries replace the liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion cells with solid materials, reducing fire risks and boosting energy density — a combination that automakers hope will underpin the next phase of EV development.

Qi Hongzhong, head of new-energy power R&D at GAC's advanced platform technology institute, said the energy density of the solid-state batteries under development is nearly double that of existing lithium-ion cells.

"With these batteries, vehicles with a range of just over 500 kilometers today could reach more than 1,000 kilometers," Qi said.

GAC plans to begin small-scale vehicle installation tests next year and gradually move to mass production between 2027 and 2030, he added.