A Sunwoda solid-state battery cell on display at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025. Credit: CnEVPost
- Li Auto has several solid-state battery projects underway and has validated prototypes in eyewear products.
- A company executive said mature mass production for vehicles would take another 5 years, with lifespan, charging performance and cost still posing challenges.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) is expected to have solid-state batteries ready for limited vehicle deployment in 2027 or 2028, though mature mass production for automotive use remains further away.
Chinese media outlet Cailian reported the timeline on Tuesday, citing a Li Auto insider, offering a clearer indication of when the company’s solid-state battery research could translate into vehicle applications.
Li Auto has several solid-state battery projects under development and has validated prototypes in eyewear products as it continues to invest in the technology, Liu Zhimin, the company’s senior director of power batteries, said, according to Cailian.
However, achieving mature mass production for vehicles while ensuring a consistent and reliable user experience is expected to take another 5 years, Liu said.
“Challenges remain in simultaneously meeting requirements for lifespan, charging performance and cost with solid-state batteries,” he said.
Limited vehicle deployment and mature mass production represent different stages. Being ready for limited deployment in 2027 or 2028 would not mean the batteries could be widely used in production models by then.
Li Auto launched its Livis smart glasses in December 2025, though it did not highlight the device’s use of solid-state batteries at the time.
The solid-state battery work is part of Li Auto’s broader push to expand in-house battery development. The company said on September 7 that its in-house developed batteries were already used in the Li L8, Li L6 and Li i8, with deployment set to gradually extend across its lineup.
Li Auto said it began developing battery cells in-house in 2020, with its work covering 5C cells, battery packs and battery management systems (BMS).
The batteries are produced by a joint venture established in 2025 with Sunwoda (SZSE: 300207), in which each company holds a 50% stake.
Li Auto is also strengthening its financial ties with its battery manufacturing partner. Sunwoda disclosed on September 4 that Li Auto planned to invest in Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co Ltd (Sunwoda EVB), giving it a direct 8.79% stake upon completion and making it the company’s second-largest single shareholder.
Several Chinese automakers and battery manufacturers have set milestones around 2027 for solid-state battery development, though gaps remain between vehicle validation, limited deployment and large-scale commercialization.
Chery Auto (HKEX: 9973) said on September 3 that it planned to begin vehicle validation of all-solid-state batteries in 2027, with solid-liquid hybrid batteries scheduled for vehicle installation in the fourth quarter of 2026 as a transitional solution.
CATL (HKEX: 3750) chief scientist Wu Kai said in 2024 that the company aimed to reach the technical readiness required for small-batch production of all-solid-state batteries in 2027, though large-scale production would still face challenges including cost.
CATL chairman Robin Zeng said in June this year that solid-state battery technology was only at level 4 on a scale from level 1 to level 9, with level 9 representing readiness for mass production.
The new-generation Li Mega and upcoming Li i9 will gradually switch from CATL batteries to batteries developed in-house by Li Auto.
