Chery Automobile said its premium Exeed brand plans to become among the first carmakers to equip production vehicles with solid-state batteries by 2026, aiming to debut the technology on a shooting brake model known as Liefeng.
Exeed said the Liefeng is expected to use Chery’s in-house Rhino S solid-state battery, with a targeted energy density of up to 600 watt-hours per kilogram. The company claims the vehicle could deliver a driving range of up to 1,500 kilometres and maintain reliable performance at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius, highlighting cold-weather capability as a key selling point.
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Chery said it is pursuing the oxide-based electrolyte route for solid-state battery development, one of three main approaches under exploration globally alongside polymer and sulfide electrolytes. Industry players have yet to converge on a dominant technology, with each route presenting trade-offs in performance, safety and manufacturability.
In addition to the battery system, Exeed said the Liefeng is expected to feature an 800-volt electrical architecture and a high-speed electric motor capable of up to 30,000 revolutions per minute. Performance targets include acceleration from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in under three seconds and a top speed of 260 km/h, according to the company.
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Chery has outlined a phased rollout strategy for solid-state batteries. Initial deployments in 2026 are planned for ride-hailing and rental fleets to collect operational data, followed by a move toward large-scale mass production in 2027. Analysts and industry executives widely view the 2026–2027 period as critical for determining whether solid-state batteries can be commercialised successfully.
The announcement follows earlier disclosures by Chery in December 2025 that the Exeed ES8 would be the brand’s first model to adopt a solid-state battery, with a stated pure-electric range of about 1,000 kilometres. The ES8 and Liefeng share similar front-end design elements, the company said.
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Despite growing interest, industry experts have cautioned that solid-state batteries still face significant technical and cost hurdles. At the 2025 World Power Battery Conference in Sichuan, executives from leading Chinese battery and automotive companies warned that large-scale commercial deployment remains some distance away.
Chery has continued to expand its electrified lineup as it prepares for future technologies. Its electric vehicle brand iCar recently moved its first extended-range electric model into mass production at the company’s Wuhu plant in Anhui province. Meanwhile, Exeed unveiled four new models — the ES8, ES7 GT, ET8 and ET9 — late last year as part of efforts to revitalise sales after a challenging period.
Source: CarNewsChina