A September 20 wave of coverage laid bare a split in China's solid-state battery timeline. CATL chairman Robin Zeng has said the technology is only at TRL level 4 of a 1–9 scale and that true all-solid-state scale production is still "more than five years" away, with the company planning small-batch output in 2027 and mass production around 2030 and holding the world's largest all-solid-state patent portfolio.
By contrast, peers are converging on 2027 for initial vehicle fitting. BYD has confirmed its first solid-state model in 2027 (likely under the Yangwang brand), with a sulfide route cell at 400 Wh/kg that has passed full crash-test validation; NIO, Geely, SAIC, Changan and Xpeng have also published roadmaps. Industry-wide, 2027 is widely seen as the year of small-batch all-solid-state pack fitting (in the low-thousands of units), with true million-unit scale only after science, engineering and cost hurdles are cleared.
According to Battery China, 52 solid-state and key-material investment projects worth 53 billion yuan were announced in January–July 2026. Analysts said the 2027 "fitting year" consensus is strengthening even as CATL tempers expectations on full commercialization.
Source: Sohu / Battery China / Securities Daily
