Source: Chery

At the 2025 Chery Global Innovation Conference held on October 18 in Wuhu, Chery Automobile unveiled its first self-developed all-solid-state battery prototype, achieving an energy density of 600 Wh/kg—over twice that of current liquid lithium-ion cells.

The module is projected to enable electric vehicles to travel up to 1,300 km (808 mi) per charge, a major breakthrough toward next-gen battery commercialization.

The battery was developed by the Chery Solid-State Battery Research Institute using an in-situ polymerized solid electrolyte system paired with a lithium-rich manganese cathode.

Chery said the chemistry eliminates thermal runaway risk and maintains power delivery under extreme mechanical stress. In safety tests involving nail penetration, drill puncture, 50 percent structural deformation, and water immersion, the cell continued to operate without fire or smoke.

Source: Chery

Chery Chairman Yin Tongyue announced plans for vehicle trials in 2026 and full-scale production in 2027, which would place the company ahead of major domestic competitors BYD (HKG: 1211) and CATL, both targeting limited solid-state output around the same timeframe.

The company’s stated goal is to deploy the technology across its premium electric lineup under the “Yaoguang 2025” innovation program.

The new cell’s 600 Wh/kg energy density compares with roughly 250–300 Wh/kg in current high-end EV packs. If achieved at mass scale, it could double practical driving ranges to between 1,200 and 1,500 km (746–932 mi), while offering superior stability under temperature and impact stress.

The development arrives amid rapid growth in Chery’s overall operations. The automaker sold 2,007,768 vehicles in the first three quarters of 2025, up 14.5 percent year-on-year, including 936,428 exports, a 12.9 percent increase from the previous year. In September alone, overseas shipments reached 137,624 units, marking the fifth consecutive month above 100,000 exports.

Financially, Chery’s first-half revenue reached 141.6 billion CNY (c. $19.5 billion), up 26.3 percent from 2024. Following its Hong Kong IPO, the company allocated 35 percent of proceeds to vehicle R&D and 25 percent to advanced technologies such as solid-state systems.

Chery’s breakthrough enters a global race to commercialize solid-state batteries. Toyota (TYO: 7203) recently expanded its partnership with Sumitomo Metal Mining to accelerate cathode material production, while research teams at Tsinghua University and CATL have demonstrated 600 Wh/kg prototypes in laboratory settings.

If Chery meets its 2027 mass-production target, it would become the first major Chinese automaker to commercialize high-energy solid-state batteries, potentially redefining performance expectations for long-range EVs and advancing China’s role in next-generation energy storage.

Conversion rate: 1 USD = 7.25 CNY as of October 18, 2025.