China’s FAW Group has announced the installation of what it describes as the industry’s first lithium-rich manganese semi-solid-state battery in an electric vehicle, marking a significant development in next-generation EV battery technology.
The battery was developed by FAW’s subsidiary, China Automotive New Energy Battery Technology Co. Ltd., in collaboration with a research team led by Academician Chen Jun at Nankai University. According to the company, the new cell achieves an energy density exceeding 500 Wh/kg. The full battery pack has a capacity of 142 kWh, enabling a claimed driving range of over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) under the CLTC testing cycle.
Automakers and battery manufacturers globally are racing to develop improved battery chemistries that reduce costs, enhance safety, speed up charging, and extend driving range. Solid-state batteries are widely considered a breakthrough technology due to their potential to deliver significantly higher energy density compared to conventional liquid lithium-ion batteries. However, scaling production for commercial use has remained a major challenge.
FAW’s announcement follows similar claims from other major Chinese automakers. In December, SAIC Motor said it had delivered the world’s first mass-produced semi-solid-state EV with the new MG4. Meanwhile, Dongfeng Motor recently began testing a solid-state battery-powered prototype in extreme cold conditions, also targeting a driving range of more than 1,000 km under CLTC standards.
While FAW’s approach uses a lithium-rich manganese chemistry, other Chinese manufacturers are advancing high-nickel NCM and NCA battery technologies to achieve higher energy densities. At the same time, global automakers and battery firms — including Toyota, BYD, CATL, Factorial Energy, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW — are investing in sulfide-based solid-state batteries, which are expected to offer improvements in safety, conductivity, and overall efficiency.
China continues to lead the global EV battery market. Data from SNE Research shows that CATL and BYD together accounted for more than 55% of global EV battery usage in 2025. As competition intensifies, the push toward semi-solid and solid-state batteries reflects the industry’s broader effort to deliver safer, longer-range, and more efficient electric vehicles.
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