As the years pass and despite the promises that have been hanging for some time, no manufacturer has managed to bring solid-state batteries into production. Until now.
BYD has just taken a significant step in the race to be the first to bring this technology to market: Stella Li, its executive vice president, confirms that the first BYD equipped with solid-state batteries will arrive in 2027.
“Batteries Are BYD’s Core Specialty”
Solid-state batteries have long been the “Holy Grail” of the electric car and the automotive industry in general. For years, manufacturers have been telling us that this technology will change everything and will be crucial for the electric car to take off and become a real alternative to gasoline and hybrid vehicles. It would markedly improve the range of pure EVs, allow for weight reduction (making them more efficient), and cut production costs so these models could be more affordable.
On paper, it sounds great, but there’s a problem: it’s the (eternal) promise that never arrives. Every so often a brand claims it will bring this technology to production soon, yet we are late in 2026 and there is still no electric car on sale with solid-state batteries, not even in China, which has become the global benchmark in electric mobility.
What had never happened before was that a manufacturer would set a concrete date for the launch of this type of battery, and that is what Stella Li, BYD’s executive vice president has done.
The Chinese executive insists that they will launch an electric car equipped with solid-state batteries in 2027. Yes, next year. It may be the umpteenth promise of this kind that goes unfulfilled, but we are talking about BYD, the world’s leading maker of electrified vehicles, so it would be fair to give the announcement from Stella Li the benefit of the doubt.
“Speaking of the solid-state battery, BYD is in a leading position; we lead both in technology and in commercialization. To prove it, next year we will have our first model with this technology,” said Stella Li in an interview with Juan Francisco Calero for Carwow.es.
Li notes that we shouldn’t forget that “batteries are a fundamental BYD specialty” and that they are exploring and researching “any battery technology,” not only to design them but to produce them. In fact, battery production is one of BYD’s main businesses.
For the moment, Li has provided no further details about the launch of this model, and the sensible assumption is that it will not be a high-volume car; more likely, it won’t even be sold under the BYD banner and will be launched by one of the company’s premium brands, such as Denza.
It will be what we call a halo car—a showcase of strength for the manufacturer to make clear what it is capable of and to make a statement, so it will be an exclusive, expensive car with low or limited production. The aim will be to push a technology that, later on, should be offered on a much larger scale.
The question is when that moment will come when solid-state batteries are ready for mass production. Although Stella Li’s promise represents a step forward in the race for solid-state batteries, it remains to be seen when this technology will be mass-produced and marketed so that we can see a real takeoff of the electric car, if indeed this technology delivers on what manufacturers have promised for years and truly is as revolutionary as claimed.
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