Chinese battery manufacturer Svolt Energy is set to begin trial production of its first-generation semi-solid-state batteries in the fourth quarter, according to local media outlet Cailian, which cited Svolt’s chairman Yang Hongxin. The 140-ampere-hour soft-pack cells will be produced on the company’s existing semi-solid battery production lines and are earmarked for BMW Mini’s next-generation models, with mass production scheduled for 2027.
The first-generation semi-solid batteries deliver an energy density of 300 watt-hours per kilogram and are designed for low cost. Svolt has said its second-generation iteration will reach 360 Wh/kg. In parallel, the company is developing first-generation all-solid-state batteries targeting 400 Wh/kg for applications including low-altitude flight and automotive markets.
Recently, Svolt announced that its Huzhou facility in Zhejiang province rolled out the second-generation Dragon Armor Battery. This ternary lithium battery, intended for extended-range electric vehicles, has a capacity of up to 65 kilowatt-hours—making it the world’s largest mass-produced cell of its type, according to the company. The Dragon Armor Battery supports a 5C charge rate, allowing charging from 20% to 80% in about 12 minutes, and can be integrated into multi-purpose vehicles, SUVs, and sedans. Svolt has emphasized that this pack structure innovation, similar to BYD’s Blade and CATL’s Qilin batteries, improves volumetric efficiency and helps reduce development and manufacturing costs.
When unveiled in December 2022, the Dragon Armor platform demonstrated up to 76% volume packaging efficiency with lithium iron phosphate cells, offering driving ranges above 800 kilometers. Variants with high-manganese iron-nickel chemistry were projected to exceed 900 km, and ternary-chemistry versions over 1,000 km.
Established as a Great Wall Motor spin-off in February 2018, Svolt Energy operates across battery materials, cells, modules, packs, battery management systems, and energy storage. In June, the company reported a domestic power battery installation volume of 1.20 GWh, ranking ninth in China’s market with a 2.06% share, according to the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance.
Source: CNEV Post
