I attended the 2025 China Solid State Lithium-ion Battery Industry, Academy and Research Cooperation Innovation Platform Annual Conference, one of the most important platforms in China on electric vehicle technology, as a guest of Tsinghua University. I was the only foreigner attending the conference. I listened carefully to the first day’s session and tried summarizing it. The entire conference was broadcast live on WeChat, China’s most popular communication application.
Photo 1: The CASIP 2025 Conference was held in Beijing, the capital of China
In January 2024, the Solid State Lithium-Ion Battery Industry Academy and Research Cooperation Innovation Platform was established in China. The reference organizations of this platform include China’s Ministry of Labor and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, academic circles, and major battery manufacturers such as CATL (Ningde Time) and BYD[1]. The purpose of establishing this platform is that China wants to be the world’s number 1 in the automobile industry as a pioneer in advanced technology, leaving behind its competitors from America and Japan. In the opening speech of the platform in 2024, Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Tsinghua University, said in his speech: “We must be prepared because full solid-state battery technology may threaten ‘China’s’ advantages in the automotive battery field[1].”
Photo 2: One of the pioneers of China’s work on electric vehicles, Prof. Ouyang Minggao, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Academician of the Faculty of Vehicles and Mobility at Tsinghua University
At the 2025 conference held on February 15-16, Ouyang Minggao continued his words in the opening session: “The number of patents China has obtained on solid-state lithium-ion batteries is more than twice that of Japan. Solid-state lithium-ion batteries have significant shortcomings. However, when electric vehicles were discussed years ago, 90% of those discussing them were against them. We identified the problems individually and discussed how to solve them, and we came to this point. In this context, we must approach solid-state lithium-ion batteries this way.” Prof. Ouyang emphasized this in the closing speech of the first session: “There are obstacles in front of solid-state batteries. However, these obstacles existed when battery technology was discussed. We talked about how to overcome these obstacles. Are solid-state batteries difficult? “Yes, it is difficult. If it were not difficult, we would not be afraid. However, the task before us is overcoming these difficulties and becoming a pioneer in the sector.”
Government, Academic, and Industry Representatives Speak
The speaker from Weicai said the following in his speech: “Our main focus is to overcome the challenges of solid-state lithium-ion batteries. We have focused on this issue since 2021, and our team has over 100 R&D employees. It focuses on issues such as developing core materials, improving electrochemical and mechanical properties, and risk management. We need to make improvements not only at the material level but also at the system level. The problems in developing solid-state batteries are focused on improving the safety of batteries and ensuring energy efficiency. Current battery technologies cannot fully meet the needs of the automobile industry because of problems such as the weight of the batteries, the need for high voltage, and cost. For this reason, the company has turned to cheaper solutions. However, they state that the ultimate goal is not just cheapness, but the main goal is to switch to fully electric solutions. This will also achieve the goal of developing safer batteries.”
Another company representative (the speaker’s name could not be recorded here because it was spoken in Chinese) said the following in his words. “Although the usage rate of oxide electrolytes reached 7% in 2024, they cannot be used directly due to their inelastic mechanical properties. Therefore, they need to be combined with polymer components. The company has significantly progressed in developing solid-state battery technology by combining these two components. Since 2016, studies using liquid polymer mixtures have aimed to make battery systems solid. This process is progressing with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China. It continues by certain test standards and focuses on three main topics.” “It is observed that the transition to the solid state is difficult, and this process has only just begun to be measured, especially in applications such as mobile phones and unmanned aerial vehicle power systems. It is seen that the transition to the solid state has only been carried out by a small number of companies and has not yet become widespread on a commercial scale. It is determined that membrane components should be used in this process, but some difficulties are encountered because the electrolytes are still secret.
Another problem is that the production costs of oxide electrolytes are high (between 12-20 million RMB/ton), and large-scale production has not yet been achieved. In addition, it is necessary to see the importance of production processes combined with liquid technologies. Artificial intelligence platforms should be used to use fast and accurate data in battery design. Thanks to this data, the aim is to achieve better results in battery design. The company aims to progress in correct material processing and to develop the best solution. However, this area may encounter pressures since costs should also provide a competitive advantage.” Prof. Ouyang continued his words in the second session as follows. “For the industrial production of solid-state batteries, issues such as technology, production process, and cost still need to be resolved. Solid-state batteries offer more safety and energy density advantages than liquid electrolyte batteries. These batteries can potentially solve electric vehicles’ range and safety problems and, therefore, have become a critical issue in the global power battery competition. Today, traditional automotive giants such as the USA, Europe, Japan, and South Korea attach great importance to the development of solid-state batteries. These countries aim to surpass China’s leading position in the power battery sector by developing solid-state batteries. Many companies in China are also increasing their investments in this field.” “Japan plans to commercialize solid-state batteries in 2027-2028 and start large-scale production after 2030. South Korea’s Samsung aims to start mass production in 2027. In China, companies such as SAIC, GAC, Qirui, and BYD have also announced their schedules for the mass production of solid-state batteries. CATL (Ningde Times) has started the test production of 20Ah capacity prototypes for sulfur-based solid-state batteries and plans to start small-scale production in 2027. However, solid-state batteries generally take another 2-3 years to enter widespread mass production. So far, most of the ‘mass production’ solid-state batteries announced by some companies are semi-solid-state batteries.”
“It is important to emphasize here: Semi-solid-state batteries technically still fall into the category of liquid electrolyte batteries and should not be confused with solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries did not emerge spontaneously through the natural evolution of liquid electrolyte batteries but are a completely different technology. Solid-state battery technology is not yet fully mature worldwide and will be in small-scale production by 2027 at best.
However, transitioning from small-scale to large-scale commercial production will take a long time. In addition, the cost is a major obstacle. The unit cost of lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes is around 0.5 yuan/Wh. The main material cost of solid-state batteries alone is around 2 yuan/Wh. The cost of a 100 kWh battery pack exceeds 200,000 yuan, one of the biggest obstacles to the widespread use of solid-state batteries.
Therefore, in the long term, liquid electrolytes and solid-state batteries are expected to coexist in the market, meaning that it will not be possible to use batteries with solid-state batteries soon.” “The battery exchange model provides an important solution for the energy supply of electric vehicles. This model is increasingly gaining attention as an alternative energy supply method for charging infrastructure.
It shortens charging times – It provides a rapid energy supply, especially in highways, public transport vehicles, long-haul trucks, mines, and port operations. It contributes to business model innovation. The vehicle-battery separation model reduces users’ battery purchasing costs and helps prevent battery depreciation in the second-hand vehicle market.
By the end of 2023, electric vehicle sales in China reached 38.32 million units, and the installed capacity of power batteries reached 165.2 GWh. The total volume of recycled old batteries was 301,000 tons, corresponding to 10% of total battery production. The batteries recycled in 2025 and 2030 are expected to be 377,000 tons and 1.06 million tons, respectively.”
The battery recycling process was discussed in detail. It was emphasized that large companies should provide battery recycling, local and central government support should be increased, R&D investments should be improved, and battery recycling should be encouraged. Finally, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment has included the iron and steel, electrical appliances, and cement sectors in the national carbon trading system among the policies supporting battery recycling.
Another speaker continued his speech: “In June 2017, we put forward development plans for fluidized main components for third-generation battery technologies. The first-generation batteries were similar to Japan’s first generation, providing an energy density of 200-300 Wh/kg. The characteristics of these batteries, such as their loading capacity and life cycle, were not yet understood. However, with our trading charts, these batteries have become completely understandable.
First-generation batteries have low capacity and are suitable for general use. The second-generation batteries we focus on have high capacity and use fluidized main components and high-layer materials. These batteries have an energy density between 400 Wh/kg and 800 Wh/kg and have not been successfully produced. This is the main goal of second-generation batteries.
“Third-generation batteries, on the other hand, aim for a capacity of 500 Wh/kg, and the technology is planned to be developed by 2030. This is the upper limit that the industry is currently trying to reach. However, until such batteries are developed, technological advances will be difficult. Temporary writings and developments have been prioritized to facilitate this goal. Therefore, transition processes such as the fifth generation have not yet been fully completed.
In this process, we have determined two main goals:
- Material innovations: To improve the materials used in advanced solid-state battery technologies.
- Technological progress: Establish the necessary infrastructure for these batteries to reach industrial production levels.
In terms of material innovations, the solid-state electrolytes we currently use have been developed in four generations:
- First generation: Provides high electrical conductivity and 9-18 mAh energy.
- Second generation: Created a thinner structure by optimizing ion exchange channels.
- Third generation: Focused on achieving extra gain and increasing energy efficiency.
- Fourth generation: Made more durable by increasing cyclic stability.
Solid-state electrolytes can currently be produced with a thickness of 20 microns, sufficient to provide high energy density.
In addition, years of work on electronic safety have developed new technologies for high-voltage batteries. These technologies have significantly increased battery safety, and more than 1000 W power outputs have become available.
“As a result, a major effort is being made to bring solid-state batteries into industrial production processes. The goal is to get this technology into mass production and produce more efficient batteries by 2030.
The Share of Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicles is Increasing
Graphs were presented at the conference showing that the share of renewable energy and electric vehicles is increasing. Energy production data and resource shares for 2024 were given. Coal decreases by 1.6% among fossil energy sources, with 47.6 million tons. Crude oil was stated as 2.1 million tons, and a decrease of 0.5% was recorded. On the other hand, renewable energy sources, especially hydroelectric and wind energy, have increased by 1.8%, and a total growth of 11.6% has been seen. Coal has the largest share in the distribution of energy production, with 67.36%. Hydroelectricity has a share of 13.53%, wind energy has a share of 9.94%, solar energy has 4.44%, and other sources have smaller shares. Liu Zhi’s journey, in which he completed the 1044 KM road without changing the battery, was included in the presentation made at the conference.
Photo 3: Liu Zhi and his friend completed the 1,044-kilometer distance from Shanghai to Xiamen without changing the battery
What are solid-state Batteries?
Solid State Lithium-Ion Batteries. It is a type of battery that uses a solid electrolyte instead of the traditional liquid electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries. This technology improves battery safety, energy density, and charging time. Liquid-state lithium-ion batteries release flammable gases due to various exothermic reactions caused by the heating of the battery, which puts the battery’s safety at risk. The heated gases attack the separators inside the battery and cause the separators to rupture, causing the anode and cathode to interact directly and causing short circuits. As a result of these successive events, the battery heats up rapidly and explodes or burns. Solid-state batteries are more thermally stable, delay battery heating, take up less space, and allow ions to move faster, allowing for earlier charging.
Photo 4 CASIP 2025 Opening Meeting
Note: The conference language is Chinese, and sometimes the names of the speakers could not be noted. However, the main theme of the speeches was preserved and translated into Turkish.
Sources
[1] https://www.163.com/dy/article/IS1PB5OB054783YK.html
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