The next generation of electric-vehicle batteries is finally getting a calendar date. BYD's chief scientist Lian Yubo confirmed June 1 that the world's largest EV maker plans to begin small-batch production of sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries in 2027, with mass production targeted by 2030 — and the rest of China's automotive grid is moving on a similar clock.
BYD Picks Sulfide Chemistry, Premium Brands First
BYD's bet is on sulfide electrolytes, which Shenzhen BYD Lithium Battery CTO Sun Huajun has argued offer better stability and longer life than today's liquid lithium-ion chemistries while enabling faster charging and longer range. The first models to ship with the new cells are expected to come from BYD's high-end sub-brands Denza, Yangwang and Feng Chang Bao before trickling down to mass-market vehicles. The roadmap follows BYD's recent Blade Battery 2.0 launch — an LFP pack already offering more than 1,000 km of CLTC range — meaning all-solid-state will be additive rather than a replacement.
SAIC, Changan, Chery, Dongfeng Line Up Behind 2027
SAIC, which shipped the world's first mass-produced semi-solid-state EV in the new MG4, has now built a prototype with partner Qingtao Energy carrying its Guangqi all-solid-state battery and is testing toward 2027 mass production. Changan plans to deploy its Golden Bell all-solid-state battery in prototypes by year-end and scale to mass production in 2027. Chery has revealed an all-solid-state pack the company says delivers more than 1,500 km of CLTC range at 400 Wh/kg, and Dongfeng is already road-testing prototype EVs with a 350 Wh/kg cell that it says can go over 1,000 km on a single charge.
Western Solid-State Catches Up Through Factorial
Outside China, U.S.-based Factorial Energy has provided cells that Mercedes-Benz used to drive a modified EQS more than 1,200 km on a single charge — the kind of validation Western incumbents need to keep pace with Chinese production timelines. Lian Yubo cautioned that solid-state will not displace liquid batteries on its own, urging continued investment in lithium-ion and sodium-ion chemistries. Even so, the alignment of five major Chinese automakers on a 2027 launch window is the strongest commercial signal yet that the long-promised chemistry is finally crossing the bridge from lab to production line — a pattern that echoes how the KAIST direct-ammonia fuel cell breakthrough is moving from research to deployment, and how Chinese players are extending their advantage in adjacent AI infrastructure rounds like DeepSeek's $7.4B raise.
Reporting based on coverage from Electrek and Car News China.