Major Chinese carmaker GWM will invest more money into its solid-state battery program over the coming years to better challenge BYD and Chery.
Solid-state batteries offer the potential to wipe out fears over range anxiety with a solid internals enabling greater energy density than liquid units in conventional batteries. It could ensure cars with a driving range of over 1000km become the norm across electric models.
There are also potential benefits in relation to safety and efficiency, making them an attractive proposition for carmakers.
Read more
- The electric car breakthrough we've all been waiting for: GWM is close to developing solid state batteries that would see its Ora electric car smash the BYD Dolphin, MG4 and Tesla Model Y
- EVs with 1500km of range coming soon: Chinese car brand Chery details its solid-state battery technology that could supercharge its future electric cars such as the 2026 Chery E5, Jaecoo J5 and future Exeed and iCaur models
- Breakthrough battery tech 'years away': GM
According to a post from GWM's outspoken Chairman Jack Wei on Chinese social media, solid-state batteries face multiple challenges, such as cost efficiency, safety and performance. Wei played off the chances of seeing solid-state batteries in the next couple of years, with it more likely to be into the next decade.
This is despite it being announced at the brand's 2024 annual general meeting it was able to begin making small capacity solid-state batteries.
GWM is not giving up on the viability of solid-state batteries for commercial output, with the brand pumping more money into the project to make progress on research and development.
Wei said GWM's solid-state battery developments would take at least five more years before being available for commercial use. This means we will not see a production-ready solid-state unit from the brand until after 2030.
GWM battery tech subsidiary Svolt unveiled a solid-state prototype in 2022, which had an energy density between 350-400Wh/kg - less than the 600Wh/kg of Chery's incoming units. GWM's battery, like Chery's, uses a sulfide-based make-up.
The battery underwent extensive testing, including rigorous thermal efficiency trials, maintaining stability at 200 degrees, as reported by CarNews China.
GWM currently only has one electric car on sale in Australia, which is its budget Ora hatch. It is expected to add the Ora 5 crossover to its EV line-up this year.
Chery is also pushing ahead with its solid-state plans, including the launch of two models within the next couple of years, with the brand's Australian branch keen to have them Down Under.
Its recently-announced 600Wh/kg unit is claimed to have a driving range of 1500km, significantly more than any other fully-electric car on the market.
BYD has also been gearing up its pursuit of solid-state, with small-batch production scheduled for 2027.
Wei's comments line up with similar sentiments from US giant General Motors in October 2025. The company's Vice President of Battery, Propulsion and Sustainability Kurt Kelty said solid-state "is still years away", but the brand remains vigilant to its developments in the coming years.
It echoes similar comments recently by Toyota executives, who went so far as to say "there's no telling if it will work or not" despite heavy investment in the tech.
