CATL is accelerating its push into solid state battery technology with plans to start pilot production by 2027. The move puts China largest battery maker in direct competition with rivals like BYD in the race to power next generation electric vehicles. But drivers should not expect widespread adoption anytime soon.
Developing viable solid state cells is notoriously difficult. CATL chief scientist Wu Kai stated that the company research currently sits around level 4 on the 9 point technology readiness scale. The goal is to reach level 7 to 8 by 2027. Reaching that threshold will allow the manufacturer to test small batches on experimental production lines and validate the chemistry in working vehicles.
Initial laboratory findings look promising. However company chairman Robin Zeng previously cautioned that moving these advanced lithium sulfur chemistries from the lab into millions of consumer cars will take years of refinement. The team must solve remaining reliability issues before committing to factory scale manufacturing.
Mass production will not arrive before 2030. High manufacturing expenses mean early battery packs will be reserved for premium electric models priced from $37,000 and up. Budget electric cars will have to rely on traditional chemistries until production volumes increase and supply chain costs fall.
