MG to launch a new model next year with a semi-solid-state battery

MG, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor, is set to introduce a model next year featuring a semi-solid-state battery, while its work and investment in solid-state batteries remains on the agenda.

In a post on the Chinese social network Weibo, MG’s general manager Zhou Xing said: “The first car launched by MG next year will be equipped with a semi-solid-state battery. And it won’t be more expensive because of it.”

Zhou also confirmed that the new technology will not only be fitted to this upcoming model, but will be included as standard equipment.

What’s the difference?

As the names suggest, solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries sit at different points on the spectrum between existing solutions, with the key distinction being how the electrolyte is used.

In lithium-ion batteries, the electrolyte is liquid; in solid-state batteries, it is solid. Semi-solid-state batteries combine elements of both approaches: the electrolyte contains solid particles, but these are suspended in a conductive liquid.

Semi-solid-state batteries: advantages and manufacturing impact

This hybrid set-up brings several benefits compared with the two alternatives. Against conventional lithium-ion batteries, semi-solid-state designs are more stable and safer, while also offering higher energy density. Compared with solid-state batteries, they are simpler to manufacture, as they do not require major changes to the production processes used for lithium-ion cells.

That manufacturing continuity has a significant effect on costs, which remain a crucial factor in the pricing of electric cars.

Solid-state batteries: challenges delaying mass production

For now, despite MG’s investment in developing solid-state batteries, hurdles such as performance, manufacturing complexity and supply-chain barriers make large-scale production very expensive.

Even with these obstacles still to overcome, MG’s focus on both solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries puts it ahead of other manufacturers that have yet to set firm timelines for adopting the technology.

Who got there first?

When MG’s new electric model arrives, it will not be the first car to benefit from a semi-solid-state battery. The technology made its debut with IM Motors in the L6 saloon, produced by a joint venture between SAIC and the technology companies Zhangjiang Hi-Tech and Alibaba Group.

When will it arrive?

As for MG’s forthcoming model, little is known beyond the fact it will be unveiled next year. At present, neither its name nor an official reveal date has been announced.