Cells for electronic batteries on a production line at the European vehicle battery venture Automotive Cells (ACC), in Billy-Berclau, France. AFP-Yonhap

China’s solid-state battery development is entering a “crucial phase” ahead of commercialization, signalling progress towards mass production, according to an industry expert, as companies in China and Korea race to gain an edge in next-generation technologies.

The remarks were made by Lian Yubo, chief scientist of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD, at an auto industry seminar that brought together industry insiders, analysts and government officials, China’s state media Beijing News reported last week.

Solid-state batteries are widely seen as a next-generation technology, offering a safer and more energy-dense alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, but remain difficult to commercialize due to challenges in price, manufacturing and stability.

“It is important to clearly recognize that from pilot-scale rollout to large-scale vehicle integration and eventually stable application, there remain numerous challenges in engineering, cost and yield,” Lian said.

He talked about key hurdles, including stabilising solid-solid interfaces and suppressing lithium dendrite growth, while emphasising the need for a broader technological ecosystem that addresses core user demands — such as range, lifespan, charging performance, environmental adaptability and safety — alongside advances in cell materials.

Leading global players are racing to advance solid-state battery development, which has become a key battleground for companies in Korea and China. Korean firms have long been leaders in battery production, while Chinese players have rapidly emerged as formidable challengers, leveraging strengths in mass manufacturing and fast-track commercialization.

Over the past two decades, China and Korea have recorded the fastest growth in solid-state battery patent applications, with average annual growth in China at 20 percent increase and Korea at 18 percent, according to Yonhap News.

Korea’s SK On has struck a confident tone in the competition, with its R&D chief telling Bloomberg that the company’s technological edge in pouch-type cells could be a “weapon” that helps “beat China”.

LG Energy Solution said in a March press release that the challenge is no longer simply to improve battery performance, but to “secure a competitive edge in future technologies”, which it described as key to industry leadership.

The company unveiled its sulfide-based solid-state battery for the first time at InterBattery 2026, Korea’s largest battery exhibition, in March.

According to LG, solid-state batteries are generally classified into three categories based on electrolyte materials — sulfide-based, oxide-based and polymer-based — with sulfide-based batteries, the focus of its research efforts, considered particularly promising for high-performance applications.

Also in March, Samsung SDI unveiled a prototype all-solid-state battery pouch, which is intended for physical AI systems, following the development of its prismatic all-solid-state batteries for EVs.

Chinese battery manufacturer CATL’s domestic car business chief technology officer (CTO) Gao Huang speaks at CATL Tech Day, ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show, in Shanghai, April 21, 2025. AFP-Yonhap

While Korean companies are pushing the frontiers of advanced battery chemistries, Chinese players are prioritising rapid industrial scaling.

On Monday, state-owned Changan Automobile said it plans to begin trial applications of its solid-state battery in robots and vehicles before the third quarter this year, following its initial unveiling last year. The company is targeting mass production by 2027.

Chery Automobile, another major carmaker, has also unveiled two solid-state battery models, with a range of over 1,500 km on a single charge. It aims to widely integrate the batteries into vehicles by 2027.

The company will place no cap on investment in solid-state battery development going forward, its chief executive said, according to Chinese financial news outlet Cailian Press.

Other major Chinese automakers, including BYD and SAIC Motor, have also outlined similar roadmaps to expand the adoption of solid-state batteries by 2027.

Alice Li is a reporter with the South China Morning Post. She is currently based in Seoul, writing for both The Korea Times and the South China Morning Post under an exchange program.