This morning, Guangzhou Automobile Group unveiled its solid-state battery technology, boasting higher energy density and safety. These batteries are set to debut in the Hao Bo models, with an expected rollout by 2026.
Recently, solid-state batteries have been in the spotlight. For instance, NIO's 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery pack has entered mass production, and Zhiji L6 also claims to be the first to use solid-state batteries. Two days ago, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences also announced a significant breakthrough in solid-state batteries, overcoming the final hurdle in manufacturing technology, aiming for commercialization by 2026.
While solid-state batteries show promise, they also face many challenges, such as difficulties in mass production and many material technologies that have yet to be breakthroughs. Industry insiders generally believe that mass production of solid-state batteries will not be feasible until at least 2028 or later.
However, the fiercely competitive new energy vehicle companies cannot afford to wait that long. Whether they are dark horses or white horses, they are all horses. They are eager to embrace the concept of solid-state batteries.
Looking at the current situation, the hype surrounding solid-state batteries has reached a boiling point.
Strictly speaking, GAC's recent announcement of solid-state batteries is just a debut.
According to Dr. Li Jin, head of battery research and development at GAC, although they have reached the stage of transitioning from the laboratory to mass production, it will still take two years to be implemented, meaning that full development of solid-state batteries will be completed by 2026, and they will first be used in models from Hapower.
It seems like there was a sense of partial release, which didn't sit well in the capital market, especially after the solid-state battery launch. As of the time of writing, Guangzhou Automobile Group's stock price has dropped by over 5%.
Fortunately, GAC didn't play "word games" with solid-state batteries.
Not long ago, Zhiji equipped its L6 light-year edition with the first-generation Zhiji solid-state battery, becoming a highlight of the Zhiji L6. Liu Tao, CEO of Zhiji Automobile, stated that the pre-sale price of the Zhiji L6 Max light-year edition equipped with solid-state batteries will not exceed 330,000 CNY.
But it has also raised considerable skepticism within the industry, as the solid-state battery's electrolyte content is only 90%, with an additional 10% of infiltrating liquid.
According to current industry perspectives, if the liquid mass within the battery constitutes 5%-15%, it is termed a "semi-solid-state battery"; if the liquid mass is below 5%, it can be called a solid-state battery. If there is no liquid whatsoever inside the battery, it can be referred to as a fully solid-state battery.
Li Jin mentioned that currently, most solid-state batteries on the market are actually semi-solid-state batteries, still requiring the addition of traditional liquid electrolytes, thus showing no fundamental difference from conventional liquid lithium-ion batteries.
This also implies that strictly speaking, Zhiji's fast-charging solid-state battery is only "semi-solid-state," differing significantly from the industry's understanding of "fully solid-state batteries."
So while Zhiji Automotive is attracting attention, it also faces the question of whether it's truly innovative or just a gimmick.
In contrast, Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) is much more pragmatic. Though they haven't reached the point of mass production yet, their solid-state battery is the real deal.
According to the press conference, this battery utilizes 100% solid-state electrolyte, boasting features like ultra-high energy density, exceptional intrinsic safety (primarily referring to single-cell safety), and an extremely wide operating temperature range (-40 to 100°C).
And based on third-generation sponge silicon negative electrode technology and high-capacity solid-state positive electrode technology, the energy density of an all-solid-state battery has been achieved to be over 400Wh/kg, representing an increase of over 52% in volume energy density and over 50% in mass energy density compared to current mass-produced liquid lithium-ion batteries, enabling over 1000 kilometers of range.
The third-generation sponge silicon negative electrode technology employs a novel nano-silicon composite negative electrode material, achieving a capacity of up to 1500mAh/g, a 30% reduction in expansion rate, and a 135% improvement in cycling stability.
The active nanocrystalline silicon ensures the structural integrity of the active silicon during charge and discharge, optimizing its cyclability performance. The high-strength 3D support matrix suppresses expansion and contraction during cycling, significantly enhancing the cycling stability of solid-state batteries.
Moreover, its novel solid-state electrode design, comparable to liquid lithium-ion capabilities, features a 40% increase in cathode thickness and a 30% increase in cathode active material loading. Combined with the encapsulation of fast ion conductors and dry electrode technology, the solid-state cathode achieves a high areal capacity of 5mAh/cm².
However, it's worth noting that at the press conference, GAC did not explicitly disclose whether it was 400Wh/kg for single-cell energy density or system energy density.
According to industry standards, the energy density of solid-state batteries should be around 500Wh/kg.
However, many experts in the industry believe that the energy density of the first stage of solid-state batteries (cell) is expected to reach 400Wh/kg, the second stage could reach 560Wh/kg or even 700Wh/kg, and energy densities exceeding 700Wh/kg should belong to the third stage.
Although Dr. Li Jin described the development of solid-state batteries as difficult as climbing Mount Everest, so far, many automakers have clear timelines for the adoption of solid-state batteries.
For example, BMW has pledged to introduce prototypes of electric vehicles equipped with solid-state batteries by 2025 and to start mass production by 2030. Volkswagen also stated that it is actively developing solid-state battery technology with the goal of achieving mass production before 2025.
Toyota announced that the commercialization of solid-state batteries will progress from small-scale trial production between 2026 and 2027 to large-scale mass production after 2030.
Nissan also indicated that the commercialization of solid-state batteries will begin after 2028, emphasizing that this is only a target to strive for.
Focusing on the main event of intelligent driving in 2024, compared to the fantastical displays of Robotaxis and flying cars at last year's GAC Tech Day, this time it was more practical. In addition to solid-state batteries, the focus of this conference was on the current battleground for automakers - intelligent driving.
GAC officially launched NDA (No Detailed Map Available) technology that does not rely on high-definition maps. Whether it's main roads in urban areas, highways, narrow streets, rugged mountain roads, or rural lanes, as long as the navigation coverage area is NDA, vehicles can operate without detailed maps.
The NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) will be initially opened to users purchasing the new Hao Bo HT model in late April, with subsequent gradual expansion to all users, aiming for nationwide coverage in the second half of the year.
Additionally, GAC Group has unveiled the "first in China" imageless pure visual solution - the GARCIA OS intelligent driving system.
The system is touted as a "domestic exclusive application for complex and ever-changing full-scenario, map-free pure visual intelligent driving system." It boasts the ability to accurately understand complex traffic conditions, recognize traffic signals, and handle diverse and changing scenarios without the need for high-precision maps and LiDAR. Moreover, it can correctly identify specific lanes and the corresponding relationship between traffic lights, detect surrounding objects and intentions, and support accurate binding of traffic lights and lanes.
During the presentation, GAC also compared its GARCIA OS system to Tesla's three-year development of FSD, demonstrating higher accuracy and adaptability.
Using GAC's self-developed "xPercFormer" technology, real-time perception of intersection road topology without maps is achieved, eliminating the reliance on signals, maps, and environment, enabling vehicles to precisely understand complex traffic conditions and handle variable scenarios.
And when it comes to parking, with the introduction of AI big models, GARCIA has the capability of high-precision parking solely based on visual inputs, addressing user pain points such as parking in difficult spaces like tight or multi-level parking spots.
Looking at it this way, besides companies like Xpeng, Xiaomi, and Weimar that currently support parking in mechanical parking spaces, we can now add Guangzhou Automobile Group to the list.
Through its proprietary data loop and simulation system, GARCIA not only achieves autonomous iteration and evolution but also continues to learn from a variety of traffic scenarios.
However, while this system is slated for mass production in 2026, just a day ago, Huawei also unveiled its inaugural pure vision autonomous driving solution, HUAWEI ADS Basic. Although the capabilities and features of GARCIA OS are more intricate and comprehensive, the time frame for mass production in 2026 might be somewhat late compared to the immediate deployment offered by ADS Basic.
Furthermore, the GAC New Energy E9 Electric Welfare Edition was officially launched during this Tech Day event.
Its standout feature is the second-row seats that can rotate outward and lower for easy access, particularly for individuals with mobility challenges. Once on the ground, these seats can detach from the vehicle and function as electric wheelchairs. Remarkably, these wheelchairs can bear up to 150kg and travel up to 20km on a single charge, with the added convenience of automatic recharging when returned to the cabin.
This functionality inspired its "Welfare Edition" moniker, maintaining the same powertrain as the standard version but replacing the second-row seating with a mobile electric wheelchair.
Whether it's the image-free Pure Visual Intelligence Driving System or the solid-state batteries, Guangzhou Automobile Group still faces a waiting period. Even with the recent business license approval and collaboration with Didi's autonomous driving venture for Robotaxi, mass production isn't expected until at least 2025.
As for when it will ignite investor interest and rekindle capital inflow, that's a question that will keep the bullets flying for a while longer.
