Chery claims 808 miles range with new solid-state battery

Chinese automaker Chery has just revealed a new battery prototype that could challenge everything we know about the range of electric cars. At a company event in Wuhu, Chery pulled the curtain back on its first self-developed all-solid-state battery. The company claims this new battery has a cell energy density of 600 Wh/kg.

Chery claims its new battery could lead to electric cars with a real-world driving range of 808 miles. The company's theoretical range is even higher, at over 932 miles. This kind of range would allow a driver to travel from LA to San Francisco and back again on a single charge. Chery is also focused on safety and reported that the new battery cell passed extreme tests, including being punctured with a nail and damaged with a power drill, all without catching fire or even smoking.

The new technology was developed by the Chery Solid-State Battery Research Institute, and it uses an in-situ polymerized solid electrolyte system and a lithium-rich manganese cathode. The technical details are complex, but at least the timeline is clear. Chery plans to put this technology into pilot operation in 2026, with a wider rollout planned for 2027. Chery clearly wants to jump ahead of its powerful domestic rivals, BYD and CATL, who are also targeting 2027 for their own small-scale solid-state battery production.

The entire auto industry is in a global sprint to commercialize solid-state batteries. These batteries promise longer range, faster charging, and better safety than today's liquid-electrolyte lithium-ion batteries. The market for these new batteries is expected to be huge. Analysts at EVTank predict that global shipments of solid-state batteries could hit 614 GWh by 2030. That would be more than 10% of the total battery market, worth over $34 billion.

Chery is having a really strong year, especially with exports. In September, the company shipped 137,624 vehicles overseas, a jump of 26.2% compared to the previous year. It was the fifth month in a row that exports topped 100,000 units. In the first half of 2025, Chery's revenue hit $19.5, up 26.3%. After a major IPO in Hong Kong, the company earmarked 35% of the funds for vehicle research and 25% for next-generation technologies, making the solid-state battery project a strategic priority.

Of course, there is a major problem that Chery and its competitors must overcome: cost. Right now, an all-solid-state battery is estimated to cost 2.8 times more than a standard liquid-electrolyte battery. This high price is due to expensive raw materials and low production yields, meaning it is very difficult to build them correctly at scale. Other research teams, like the one at Tsinghua University that developed a 604 Wh/kg cell, have also shown high-density prototypes, but no one has publicly solved the cost problem yet.

Via