SVOLT announces the series launch of its semi-solid battery
The Chinese battery manufacturer SVOLT has begun mass production of solid-state batteries. The first batch of battery packs with a capacity of 100 kWh was produced in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. The battery is designed to support fast charging at a rate of 6C.
Image: SVOLT
SVOLT Chairman Yang Hongxin announced the start of production this week in a video posted on Weibo. According to it, SVOLT has manufactured the first batch of the so-called “Dragon Armor” batteries using mass production methods. Hongxin also stated that the 100-kWh battery pack is “under consideration by several customers,” with details on the vehicles that will use it set to be released soon.
To provide context: The “Dragon Armor” battery is an energy storage device based on cells with a semi-solid electrolyte. Such semi-solid-state batteries, also known as Semi-Solid-State Batteries, represent a battery type that falls between traditional lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes and solid-state batteries with completely solid electrolytes. It uses a combination of liquid and solid materials in the electrolyte, often referred to as a solid-liquid hybrid. Battery manufacturers hope that this technology can offer improved safety, higher energy density, and longer lifespan compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries.
The company states that the new SVOLT battery features liquid cooling on both the top and bottom sides and supports up to 900 volts. The manufacturer specifies a charging rate of 6C, which allows the battery to be recharged to about 500 kilometers of range in twelve minutes according to the datasheet. Its lifespan is claimed to be over 3,000 cycles. However, the testing conditions are not mentioned. The volume of the first batch produced remains unclear as well. Hongxin also still does not provide any specific customer names.
There are still very few half-solid-state batteries available on the market, and even fewer solid-state batteries, which is why battery manufacturers are in a race to see who can take the lead in these technologies. Now, SVOLT, currently China’s tenth-largest battery manufacturer, is taking the initiative. Yang Hongxin, SVOLT’s CEO, believes 2026 will be the first year when hybrid solid-liquid batteries gain widespread acceptance and the technology sees a large-scale market rollout.
In mid-2025, the CEO spoke out once again, announcing that test production would begin in Q4/2025 and mass production in 2027 – according to the latest information, mass production has now started this fall. Previous reports indicated that SVOLT’s first-generation solid-state batteries would have an energy density of 300 Wh/kg. For a second generation that is already in preparation, the company aims for a value of 360 Wh/kg.
According to a previous report by CN EV Post, SVOLT will supply semi-solid-state batteries for models in BMW’s next-generation Mini lineup, among others. A possible connection: SVOLT was founded in 2018 from the Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor (GWM), which, through a joint venture with BMW, produces the Mini Cooper Electric and Mini Aceman. In 2023 as well, there were rumors of a purported billion-dollar deal between BMW and SVOLT. Either way, Mini has not yet been officially confirmed as one of the first buyers of SVOLT’s semi-solid-state batteries.
SVOLT is also said to be developing pure solid-state batteries. However, in May 2026, Yang Hongxin stated that commercialization still requires a very long time frame. Therefore, he believes that semi-solid-state batteries will represent the mainstream technological approach until this technology reaches large-scale mass production. Moreover, the production costs for semi-solid-state batteries are expected to be on par with those of conventional lithium-ion batteries using liquid electrolytes.