China FAW Group’s battery manufacturing unit, China Automotive New Energy Battery (CANEB), has begun fitting semi-solid-state batteries into prototype vehicles to validate the new power battery technology. Installed recently in a prototype car, the Lithium-rich manganese-based solid-liquid hybrid battery marks a significant advance in energy density, the automaker said.
Developed in collaboration with Professor Chen Jun’s team at Nankai University, the cell achieves an energy density exceeding 500 watt-hours per kilogram. Packaged into a 142-kilowatt-hour battery module, it provides a driving range of more than 1,000 kilometers on a single charge. The cathode’s specific capacity surpasses 300 milliamp-hours per gram, over twice that of conventional lithium iron phosphate batteries.
CANEB noted that the design overcomes challenges associated with metallic lithium strips by improving cycle life and safety while reducing production costs and simplifying manufacturing processes. The company is working on iterative upgrades aimed at boosting system energy density above 340 watt-hours per kilogram, increasing pack capacity beyond 200 kilowatt-hours and extending range to more than 1,600 kilometers. Demonstration operations for this technology are slated to begin in 2026.
Formerly known as Lishen before its July 2025 rebranding, CANEB operates from its Tianjin headquarters. Semi-solid-state technology, also referred to as solid-liquid hybrid batteries, is seen as a stepping stone toward true all-solid-state systems, combining liquid electrolyte advantages with enhanced safety features.
In China’s competitive battery sector, major manufacturers are targeting small-scale integration of all-solid-state batteries in vehicles by 2027. Automakers have set even more aggressive timelines: Dongfeng Motor plans mass production of solid-state batteries offering 1,000 kilometers of range by September 2026, and FAW’s Hongqi brand has already unveiled a prototype electric vehicle equipped with an all-solid-state battery system, now undergoing real-vehicle testing. Hongqi has not disclosed the energy density or driving range for that prototype.
Source: CnEV Post
