CATL chief: solid-state batteries at 'level 4 of 9,' no leap until 2030

CATL chief: solid-state batteries at 'level 4 of 9,' no leap until 2030 quotes CATL founder and chairman Robin Zeng Yuqun casting doubt on solid-state battery hype, saying the technology is only at “level four” on a nine-step readiness scale. Speaking Tuesday during a panel at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, held in Dalian in China’s Liaoning province, Zeng predicted an inflection point would not come until 2030. CATL confirmed the comments on Thursday. Zeng also said mass production of all-solid-state batteries—using a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid or gel in conventional lithium-ion cells—would not begin until 2030, and that even then commercial success remains uncertain. The article contrasts that with “semi-solid-state” products already sold in China, where semi-solid still uses liquid or gel electrolyte, and references examples such as Nio’s 150 kWh semi-solid packs launched in April 2024.