- SAIC and Qingtao launched Phase I commissioning of a joint solid-state battery plant to boost localized supply for SAIC’s NEVs amid industry price and share pressures from established chemistries.
- Phase I targets 10 GWh annual solid-state capacity within an RMB 8 billion ($1.20 billion) joint project, building a Kunshan production base linked to Shanghai vehicle assembly.
- Targets rival LFP and ternary incumbent cells in passenger EVs, but commercialization risks include limited current scale, standardization timelines, and ramping effective capacity versus planned figures.
Qingtao Power Technology Development (Kunshan) Co., Ltd., a solid-state battery subsidiary of Qingtao Energy, held a commissioning ceremony for Phase I of its solid-state power battery project on October 21.
The project was jointly established by HASCO, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor, and Qingtao Energy Development Group, with a total investment of RMB 8 billion ($1.20 billion). Phase I will include a solid-state power battery production base with an annual planned capacity of 10 GWh, primarily supplying batteries for SAIC Motor’s new energy vehicles (NEVs).
Solid-state battery technology jointly developed by SAIC Motor and Qingtao Energy has already been deployed in production vehicles. The partnership has established a cross-regional industrial chain linking R&D and manufacturing in Kunshan with vehicle assembly in Shanghai.
Qingtao Power is a key platform for Qingtao Energy’s solid-state battery business. In its 2026 Annual Competitiveness Ranking of China’s Solid-State Battery Industry, released on September 22, research institute EVTank ranked Qingtao Energy first.
The ranking said Qingtao Energy has planned a combined annual battery capacity of more than 55 GWh. This includes 6.8 GWh of planned solid-state battery capacity, of which 2.5 GWh is effective capacity, as well as another 2.5 GWh of planned semi-solid-state battery capacity.
In the passenger vehicle segment, Qingtao Energy’s semi-solid-state batteries are currently used mainly in SAIC Motor’s MG4 and MG07 models. The commissioning of Phase I is expected to advance the large-scale production and deployment of its solid-state battery technology.
Across China’s power battery market, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and ternary lithium batteries remain dominant. Data from the CABIA show that installed power battery capacity in China reached 576.3 GWh in the first nine months of this year, up 16.7% year on year.
LFP batteries accounted for 477.2 GWh, while ternary lithium batteries totaled 97.9 GWh. Solid-state batteries, by contrast, remain at an early stage of commercialization, with capacity expansion and deployment in mass-produced vehicles still key priorities for the industry.
Standards and policy support are also advancing as the industry seeks to move solid-state batteries from R&D toward wider commercial use.
On August 21, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) formally approved the launch of the first international standard in the solid-state battery field, proposed by China.
The standard will establish common guidelines for solid-state lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicle propulsion, covering application guidance, test items and testing conditions. It will provide a reference for automakers and battery suppliers worldwide conducting R&D and validation.
In September, China’s MIIT and six other government departments issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the New Battery Industry. The plan calls for initial large-scale application of all-solid-state batteries by 2030 and wider deployment of advanced batteries in automobiles, ships, aircraft and intelligent robots.
As production facilities, vehicle applications and standards continue to advance, China’s solid-state battery industry is moving from technology development toward broader industrial-scale validation.
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