SVOLT launches series production of its semi-solid-state battery
Chinese battery manufacturer SVOLT has begun series production of semi-solid-state batteries. The first batch of battery packs with 100 kWh capacity has rolled off the production line in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. These are said to support fast charging with a charging rate of 6C.
Image: SVOLT
SVOLT Chairman Yang Hongxin announced the start of series production this week in a video published on Weibo. According to the announcement, SVOLT has produced the first batch of its so-called ‘Dragon Armor’ battery using series production methods. Hongxin also stated that the 100-kWh battery pack is being considered by ‘multiple’ customers and that details about the vehicles in which it will be used will follow soon.
For context: the ‘Dragon Armor’ battery is an energy storage system based on cells with a semi-solid electrolyte. Such semi-solid-state batteries represent a battery type positioned between traditional lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes and solid-state batteries with fully solid electrolytes. They use a combination of liquid and solid materials in the electrolyte, often referred to as a solid-liquid hybrid. Battery manufacturers hope this technology can deliver improved safety, higher energy density, and a longer lifespan compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
Regarding the new SVOLT battery, the company reports that it features liquid cooling on both the top and bottom and supports up to 900 volts. The manufacturer specifies a charging rate of 6C, which, according to the datasheet, allows a range of around 500 kilometres to be recharged in twelve minutes. The lifespan is stated to exceed 3,000 cycles. However, the test conditions and the scope of the first production batch remain unmentioned. Hongxin continues to refrain from naming specific customers.
There are currently few semi-solid-state batteries on the market and even fewer solid-state batteries, which is why battery manufacturers are racing to take the lead in these technologies. SVOLT, currently the tenth-largest battery manufacturer in China, is now making a move. According to SVOLT CEO Yang Hongxin, 2026 will be the first year in which hybrid solid-liquid batteries gain broad acceptance and the technology experiences large-scale market introduction.
In mid-2025, the chairman already spoke out and announced test production for Q4 2025 and series production for 2027. According to the latest information, the start of series production has now taken place this autumn. Previous statements indicated that SVOLT’s first-generation semi-solid-state batteries would have an energy density of 300 Wh/kg. For a second generation, which is reportedly already in preparation, the company aims for a value of 360 Wh/kg.
According to an earlier report by _CN EV Post_, SVOLT will supply the semi-solid-state batteries, among other things, for the next-generation models of BMW’s Mini brand. A possible connection here is that SVOLT was spun off from the Chinese automotive group Great Wall Motor (GWM) in 2018, which, in a joint venture with BMW, produces the Mini Cooper Electric and the Mini Aceman. As early as 2023, there were also rumours of an alleged billion-dollar deal between BMW and SVOLT. That said, Mini has not yet been officially confirmed as one of the first customers for SVOLT’s semi-solid-state batteries.
SVOLT is also reportedly developing pure solid-state batteries. However, in May, Yang Hongxin stated that commercialisation will take a very long time. He believes that semi-solid-state batteries will represent a common technological path until this technology achieves large-scale mass production, especially since the production costs of semi-solid-state batteries are expected to be on par with those of conventional lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes.