BYD targets 2027 for first solid-state battery rollout

BYD is joining the group of Chinese car makers unveiling their road map towards the commercialization of solid-state batteries. The company will start the demonstration phase of the technology around 2027, in line with the objectives of Toyota and MG, for instance. As for large-scale commercialization, we won’t see BYD models with revolutionary packs until after 2030.

BYD’s battery business CTO, Sun Huajun, made the roadmap public. Sun made the remarks at an industry forum on all-solid-state batteries, highlighting the progress in the sector.

Battle with CATL?

As the world’s largest manufacturer of battery-electric vehicles and the second-largest producer of power batteries, BYD owes it to its status to position itself as a key player in the transition to solid-state battery technology. In 2024, BYD’s installed battery capacity reached 153.7 GWh, accounting for a 17.2% global market share.

Solid-state battery technology is the next level for electric vehicle adoption. It offers promising advancements over conventional lithium-ion batteries. The latter have essentially maxed out their energy density at around 350 Wh/kg. All-solid-state batteries are projected to reach 500 Wh/kg, improving range, efficiency, and charging speeds in electric vehicles.

While research has been ongoing for years, commercialization remains challenging due to production complexities and raw material costs.

But signs of first adoption are multiplying. BYD is joining CATL, which indicated one year ago that it intends to produce all-solid-state batteries in small volumes by 2027. BYD will start integrating the technology for demonstration and testing purposes around the same timeline. Both battery makers are on par.

Since 2013

BYD has been doing it for some time now. Its battery manufacturing department engaged in solid-state battery research since 2013, initially focusing on material selection and technology routes. By 2016, the company began verifying technical feasibility through soft-pack battery prototypes with capacities of less than 1 Ah.

Progress accelerated in 2023 when BYD started validating industrial-scale feasibility and refining cell system designs. One year later, the company had already produced trial solid-state battery cells with 20 Ah and 60 Ah single-cell capacities.

Sun revealed that BYD, like CATL, is pursuing the sulfide route for solid-state battery development. This approach was selected primarily for its cost efficiency and process stability. 

The other two primary technology routes — oxide and polymer — have also gained traction in the industry. Notably, Chinese startup Talent New Energy announced last April that it had developed solid-state battery cells with an energy density of 720 Wh/kg using the oxide route.

Scaling to bring affordability

But, as mentioned above, both BYD and CATL—aligning with other startups like Storedot—confirm that large-scale adoption won’t arrive before the decade’s end. Despite the race toward commercialization, in which the Chinese want to keep their lead to maintain their battery dominance, there seems to be industry consensus about the timeline.

Cost challenges remain a big hurdle for solid-state production, but Sun remains optimistic about long-term affordability. In the sulfide pathway, the highest cost contributors are still nickel and cobalt, which are also fundamental to existing ternary lithium-ion batteries. 

The present high cost of sulfide electrolytes is attributed to low production volumes rather than inherent material expense. Sun believes that solid-state ternary battery costs will align closely with liquid-based ternary batteries once production scales up.

“Cost discussions at this stage are premature because volume remains low. Once a certain level of industrial scale is achieved, solid-state batteries will be competitively priced compared to today’s liquid ternary batteries”, Sun said.