Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturers are continuing to develop solid-state batteries in a potential boost to long-term demand for metals such as nickel and lithium, although the timeline for large-scale applications remains uncertain.
Chinese battery cathode manufacturer Beijing Easpring Material Technology has begun delivering over 20t per order of cathode materials used in all-solid-state batteries, the company said on 24 October. The cathode materials include ultra-high nickel multi-element materials and ultra-high capacity lithium-rich manganese-based materials.
The performance of Easpring's high-nickel multi-element materials used in all-solid-state batteries has approached that of liquid batteries. The energy density of such batteries exceeds 400Wh/kg, far surpassing current liquid battery levels, according to Easpring.
Easpring is a major Chinese cathode manufacturer. Its total output of cathode active materials — comprising lithium nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide (NCM), lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) — reached 73,133t in the first half of 2025, more than double the 35,955t produced a year earlier. The company shipped over 15,000t of multi-element cathode materials and more than 23,000t of lithium iron phosphate in the third quarter of this year.
The firm is building a cathode active material production plant in Kotka, southeast Finland. It has signed a non-binding agreement with German start-up refinery AMG Lithium to supply lithium hydroxide to the Kotka facility, although supply volumes have not been disclosed.
An increasing number of Chinese electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturers have accelerated the development of all-solid-state batteries in recent years. These are seen as the next generation of power batteries, offering significantly longer driving ranges and enhanced safety.
Major Chinese automaker Chery earlier this month unveiled its Rhino S all-solid-state battery module with an energy density of 600Wh/kg, supporting a driving range of more than 1,200km. Chery plans to begin initial vehicle assembly and verification for this battery in 2027.
Chinese battery producer Sunwoda has revealed a new-generation polymer all-solid-state battery, named "Xin·Bixiao," with an energy density of 400Wh/kg. The company is also testing a laboratory sample of a lithium-metal super battery with an energy density of 520Wh/kg.
The development of solid-state batteries has opened up new opportunities for nickel suppliers, which are facing oversupply issues caused partly by the shrinking market share of nickel-containing ternary batteries in the face of keen competition from LFP batteries. Ultra-high nickel precursors can also be used in solid-state batteries to improve energy density, lifecycle and safety performance.
Solid-state batteries are expected to use lithium metal as the anode material instead of the traditional graphite anode material. This shift can significantly increase the battery's energy density.
The timeline for mass production of solid-state battery projects and the rollout of EVs equipped with them remains uncertain, however. Several major automakers, including BYD, have indicated that such EVs will enter mass production around 2030. But progress might depend on when and whether technical bottlenecks can be resolved and manufacturing costs lowered.
"In the initial few years, it is likely that most consumers will not be able to afford the high costs of solid-state batteries," one industry participant said.
