Chery to Conduct Solid-State Battery Real-World Vehicle Testing in 2027

At the 2026 World Power Battery Conference held on September 3 in Yibin, Sichuan Province, Chery Automotive Chairman Yin Tongyue revealed that the company will launch real-world road testing of solid-state batteries on production vehicles in 2027. This marks a critical step forward in Chery's roadmap for commercializing next-generation power battery technology.

Yin emphasized Chery's cautious approach to new technologies: "No technical solution will be installed in a vehicle unless its safety has been thoroughly validated." This principle applies equally to cutting-edge cell technologies such as solid-state batteries. To support R&D, Chery plans to invest a total of RMB 1 billion (approximately USD 150 million) in this field.

In March this year, Chery officially unveiled its 'Rhino S' solid-state battery product line, covering cell specifications with energy densities ranging from 400Wh/kg to 600Wh/kg. According to official Chery information, pure electric vehicles equipped with these batteries could achieve a single-charge range of up to 1,500 km. The company has already completed readiness for mass production of 400Wh/kg-class solid-state cell engineering prototypes. The first model designated for road validation is the EXEED ES8 Wagon, which was first revealed in December last year.

Meanwhile, Anwa New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. — a subsidiary of Chery — has commenced trial production of solid-state battery engineering prototypes. Anwa was jointly invested in by Gotion High-tech Co., Ltd., which maintains close ties with Volkswagen Automotive. Its Wuhu-based manufacturing facility employs an end-to-end process and is designed for an annual capacity of 1.25 GWh; management has stated its goal is to achieve mass production of 500Wh/kg-class batteries by 2027.

Across the industry, China's solid-state battery industrialization is accelerating. According to CarNewsChina, multiple leading firms — including Gotion High-tech Co., Ltd., Farasis Energy, SVOLT, CATL, BYD, and GEELY — have announced plans to begin pilot production or real-world vehicle testing of solid-state batteries in 2027. In terms of market share, China EV DataTracker data shows CATL leads with 42.9%, followed by BYD at 19.5%; all other manufacturers hold single-digit shares.