CATL Chairman Robin Zeng said solid-state battery technology remains some distance from large-scale commercial production, citing technical, manufacturing and market challenges that still need to be addressed.
Speaking at the 2026 Summer Davos forum in Dalian, Zeng said the technology has reached only “level 4” on a nine-level development scale, according to remarks reported by Bandao Morning Post.
Long Road to Commercialisation
Zeng explained that level 9 represents the stage at which solid-state batteries can be produced on a large commercial scale.
“If solid-state battery technology is measured on a scale of level 1 to level 9, progress has only reached level 4 so far.”
He said achieving mass production depends on progress across technology, product development and commercialisation.
According to Zeng, manufacturers must demonstrate sufficient supply capability while ensuring product reliability and safety. Commercial success will also depend on whether customers are willing to adopt the technology at scale.
Commercial Challenges Remain
Earlier this month, Zeng said widespread deployment of solid-state batteries in millions of vehicles is unlikely before 2030.
“To reach the level of millions, cars have to be cheap enough, and that poses some difficulties in both performance and cost.”
CATL has continued investing in next-generation battery technology despite the long development timeline.
In 2024, CATL Chief Scientist Wu Kai said the company aims to reach level 7 or level 8 by 2027, enabling small-batch production of all-solid-state batteries, although cost and manufacturing challenges would still need to be overcome before mass production.
The company had expanded its solid-state battery research and development team to more than 1,000 employees by the end of 2024.
Industry Development
Several Chinese battery manufacturers are targeting small-scale production of solid-state batteries around 2027 as development of next-generation battery technologies accelerates.
Companies including BYD and Gotion High-tech are also investing in solid-state battery research, while electric vehicle manufacturer Nio continues to pursue multiple solid-state battery technologies, including oxide- and sulfide-based approaches.
Despite ongoing industry investment, CATL’s latest comments suggest large-scale commercial deployment of solid-state batteries is still expected to require further technological and manufacturing advances.