Excited for solid-state EV batteries? BYD has some bad news

BYD isn’t joining the industry’s race to deliver solid-state batteries in electric production cars, at least not yet. Speaking to Auto Express, the Chinese giant’s executive vice president revealed that it sees existing battery technology delivering a better balance of price and low running costs in the immediate future.    

A number of car brands have been pushing solid-state electric car batteries as the next big thing in the quest for EV adoption. As well as being smaller and lighter than the lithium-ion units you’ll find in many current electric car models, they look set to be far safer, too. However, there’s just one problem: EV solid-state batteries are still yet to go mainstream.

Our hopes were briefly raised when BYD applied for some new battery patents very recently. But the firm’s executive vice president struck a more cautious note. Stella Li told Auto Express: “BYD is in a leading position for solid-state technology, but at this point in time our second-generation Blade battery is much better in terms of efficiency and cost. I don’t think that solid-state is ready for the mass market yet.”

While they’re fundamentally the same lithium-ion units that you’ll find across the market, BYD’s Blade packs are integrated into the car’s structure. The ongoing rollout of BYD’s Flash Charging tech could also mean that solid-state batteries need to offer even greater advantages over the existing packs when they do finally arrive in production cars.

Some car brands are still optimistic that they can launch solid-state battery technology within the next couple of years, including Changan which is about to begin in-vehicle testing. Other brands, such as MG, have instead launched semi-solid-state packs as an interim solution. 

Although the automotive world is struggling to get this tech fully off the ground, solid-state batteries can already be found within smaller devices such as medical implants. So, it’s more a case of massively sizing up as opposed to creating from scratch. 

For now, Nissan reckons it will have at least one fully solid-state car on the road in 2028, and we’ve already spotted a prototype BMW i7 undergoing testing. The race is on whenever BYD decides to join it, so be sure to watch this space.

For more details on how they actually work, be sure to check out our dedicated solid-state battery guide…