Date: 2026-07-10 hits: 102
The world's first all-solid-state battery mass production line has commenced operation.
Recently, CATL announced the official launch of the world's first all-solid-state battery mass production line in Yibin, Sichuan, with an initial capacity of 15GWh. This production line utilizes CATL's independently developed "solid-state electrolyte interface control technology," achieving a battery energy density exceeding 500Wh/kg, nearly double that of current mainstream ternary lithium batteries.
According to CATL's test data, vehicles equipped with this battery can achieve a range of 800 kilometers after just 10 minutes of charging. In terms of safety, all-solid-state batteries, by using a solid electrolyte instead of traditional liquid electrolytes, do not catch fire or explode, offering more than three times the safety performance of traditional lithium batteries.
This marks the official transition of all-solid-state batteries from the laboratory to commercial mass production.
Ten years of research to overcome interface challenges
The biggest technical bottleneck of all-solid-state batteries lies in the interfacial impedance between the solid electrolyte and the electrodes. Liquid electrolytes can naturally wet the electrode surface, facilitating smooth ion transport; however, solid electrolytes present a rigid contact, resulting in high interfacial resistance and low ion transport efficiency, leading to high internal resistance and short cycle life. CATL began its solid-state battery R&D in 2016. The core team spent nearly a decade overcoming challenges in the large-scale synthesis of sulfide solid electrolytes, the uniform coating technology of solid electrolyte films, and the interface modification process between the positive and negative electrodes and the solid electrolyte.
According to CATL CTO Wu Kai, the core of the "solid electrolyte interface regulation technology" is to construct a nanoscale buffer layer between the positive electrode and the solid electrolyte, ensuring ion transport efficiency while suppressing interface degradation during charge and discharge. This technology has increased the cycle life of all-solid-state batteries from less than 500 cycles in the early days to over 2000 cycles currently.
Cost and Production Capacity Ramp-up:
In the early stages of mass production, the cost of all-solid-state batteries is still significantly higher than that of liquid lithium batteries. Industry estimates suggest that the current cost per kilowatt-hour of all-solid-state batteries is about 2-3 times that of liquid lithium batteries. However, CATL states that with improved production line yields and economies of scale, it expects to reduce costs to a level comparable to ternary lithium batteries by 2028.
Following the commissioning of its 15GWh Phase I production line in Yibin, CATL plans to add 30GWh of capacity at its Ningde headquarters in 2027 and select a site in Europe to build its first overseas all-solid-state battery production line.
The mass production of all-solid-state batteries has also had a ripple effect on the upstream of the industry chain. Demand for key raw materials required for solid-state electrolytes, such as lithium sulfide and lithium germanide, will increase significantly, and related suppliers have already begun expanding production.
Competition in the industry is accelerating across the board.
CATL's mass production has further intensified competition in the all-solid-state battery market.
Toyota previously announced its goal of achieving mass production of all-solid-state batteries by 2027-2028, aiming for a range of 1200 kilometers and a charging time of 10 minutes. Samsung SDI showcased a prototype sulfide all-solid-state battery at CES 2026, achieving an energy density of 900Wh/kg, with plans for mass production in 2028. Chinese companies such as BYD, Weilan New Energy, and Qingtao Energy are also accelerating the construction of their respective solid-state battery production lines.
A Goldman Sachs report predicts that the global solid-state battery market will reach $120 billion by 2030, increasing its share of total installed power batteries from less than 1% currently to 15%.
