An affordable EV with solid state batteries? MG Motor is launching a new semi-solid-state battery-powered EV next year, saying “the price is affordable.” Here's what to expect.
MG to launch semi-solid-state battery EV in 2025
Formerly a British car brand, MG is now owned by Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor. The Chinese auto giant is using a well-known name to help drive an overseas sales campaign.
Although MG is already China's best-selling EV company with electric vehicles like the MG4, the company has even bigger plans. According to MG general manager Zhou Xing, the brand's first EV to be launched in 2025 will be powered by a semi-solid state battery.
Zhou posted on social media, saying, “The first new model to be launched by the MG brand next year may be equipped with a slightly stronger battery.” He continued, “Let me tell you first that the price is not expensive.
According to Zhou, the new battery will be standard in the upcoming model. MG's general manager confirmed that the brand will launch two new models in China and two facelifts in 2025.
Several automakers and other companies are racing to introduce solid-state EV batteries, which promise greater range, higher energy density, and faster charging speeds. However, safety, performance, and challenges in manufacturing quality have been major obstacles.
MG's semi-solid-state EV battery uses solid and liquid electrolytes, which are easy to produce but offer lower energy density than solid-state EV batteries.
Other companies, such as Factorial Energy, are developing solid-state EV batteries. Last week, Factorial announced its new battery technologypresented with Mercedes-Benz, scaled to achieve a capacity of 40Ah.
Factorial's CTO and founder, Alex Yu, says its Solstice all-solid-state cells are “up to 80% higher energy” than most current lithium-ion technologies. The company aims to unlock a driving range of over 600 miles by reducing weight by 40%. Factorial's all-solid-state EV batteries are expected to enter service by the end of the decade.
Mercedes plans to test EVs with solid batteries on the road “in a few months.” The automaker is confident in its plans to produce solid-state EV batteries at scale by 2030.
Source: AutoCar, Zhou Xing
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