FAW Begins Testing Semi-Solid-State Battery With 500 Wh/kg Energy Density

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What if, executive editor Zachary Shahan said at the weekly CleanTechnica writers meeting on Wednesday, there was a battery that had twice the power of a conventional LFP battery and cost less as well? From your lips to God’s ear, Zachary.

On February 10, 2026, CnEVPost reported that China’s FAW — which happens to be Volkswagen’s primary manufacturing partner in China — has been testing a semi-solid state battery with 500 Wh/kg of power in a prototype production automobile. The prototype battery is rated at 142 kWh and replaced a conventional LFP battery rated at less than half that amount. Once fitted with the prototype battery, the car is said to have a range of 1000 km or more by the generous Chinese standard.

Not only is the power density at or close to the maximum theoretical power density for batteries, but the cost of the batteries is said to be lower than conventional LFP batteries because its uses cheap, abundant manganese in place of nickel.

The battery pack was manufactured by FAW subsidiary China Automotive New Energy Battery (CANEB) and developed jointly by CANEB and a team led by professor Chen Jun at Nankai University. The researchers went in a different direction from other companies who are developing semi-solid state batteries.

For instance, NIO has a prototype 150 kWh semi-solid battery that it rents to customers because it makes the cars too expensive if it is included in the purchase price. Those cars are capable of traveling more than 650 miles on a single charge.

Swapping Manganese For Nickel

By swapping the expensive nickel for manganese, the FAW researchers managed to lower the cost of the hybrid pack and at the same time offers energy density commensurate with that of a solid-state battery. “The battery uses in situ cured composite electrolyte technology, which provides high ionic conductivity, a wide electro-chemical window, strong interfacial compatibility, flame retardancy, and cost advantages,” a report by the researchers claims.

The anode has also been formed in situ to increase the battery lifespan and safety profile, while the lithium-manganese cathode offers an energy density of 300 mAh/g, more than double the best LFP cells can offer.

The range tests in the prototype FAW vehicles are expected to demonstrate that more than 1,000 km on a charge is possible. At an average EV efficiency of about 30 kWh per 100 miles, the hybrid battery is expected to be rated at 500 miles or more using the EPA standard. The next prototype battery from FAW is expected to be rated at 200 kWh and offer close to 700 miles on a charge. Because of its outstanding energy density, the physical size of the battery pack is no larger than that of a traditional LFP battery.

Defining Terms

Sharp-eyed readers will pick up on the fact that this is called a “semi-solid state battery.” Getting terms and definitions is important to avoid confusion and misunderstandings. China has established the first solid-state battery standardization and classification system, which is scheduled to go into effect officially in July.

In that nomenclature system, solid-state batteries are categorized by the amount of liquid in their electrolyte, and those with 95 percent solid electrolyte will be called hybrid solid-liquid batteries. CATL and other companies consider the hybrid technology to be a perfect stopgap solution on the way to fully solid-state batteries, according to Notebook Check.

At the present time, true solid-state batteries are expensive and have a shorter lifespan that conventional or hybrid batteries. One reason for the higher cost is that hybrids can be produced on existing production lines, whereas the true solid-state batteries require extensive and expensive production retooling.

The search for better batteries continues in laboratories around the world, but especially in China. CATL and BYD are currently planning small integration of true solid-state batteries into prototype vehicles in 2027. Dongfeng said last year it expects to begin mass production of solid-state batteries with a 1,000-kilometer range by September of this year. Last month, FAW announced that its Hongqi brand had placed its first prototype vehicle equipped with solid-state batteries in service, but did not disclose its energy density or the vehicle’s range.

Svolt To Donut Lab: Really?

There is a corollary to this battery news. In January, Donut Lab, based in Helsinki, Finland, said at CES 2026 that it is now producing true solid-state batteries for vehicles with more than 400 Wh/kg power density and a lifespan of more than 100,000 cycles.

“While the advantages are obvious, the future of solid state batteries has been a moving target constantly delayed when companies working in electrification are asked about when they will become a reality,” Donut Lab CEO Marko Lehtimäki said.

“At Donut Lab, our answer on solid state batteries being ready for use in OEM production vehicles is now, today, not later. Donut Lab has engineered a new high performance solid state Donut Battery that can be scaled to major production volumes and seen now in real world use in the Verge Motorcycles bikes out on the road in Q1.”

Significant performance claims for the battery included 99 percent functionality at -30º C and 100º C, rapid charging in under 5 minutes, and no need to limit charging to 80 percent to preserve battery life.

The company’s claims have been challenged by Yang Hongxin, chairman and CEO of Svolt Energy. “That battery doesn’t exist in the world,” he told local media on January 14, 2026. “All the parameters are contradictory… Any technician with basic knowledge would recognize it as a scam,” Yang said, according to a report by Xuanyuan Business Review.

Scam is a pretty harsh word, usually reserved for use by maniacal followers of a certain US president. To bolster his assertions, Yang pointed to claims of 12C charging capability, extreme low-temperature performance, and 400 Wh/kg energy density.

Svolt maintains a highly conservative stance on all solid-state batteries. “Too many unresolved issues exist; it’s premature to discuss industrialization timelines,” Yang said. “China’s technology is the most advanced globally. If China can’t produce or perfect it, companies from other countries certainly can’t either. We must possess this confidence,” he added.

No one here at CleanTechnica is a battery scientist, nor have we ever played one on TV, so we take no position on the claims by Donut Lab or Svolt. We will only say that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That does not alter the fact that battery research and development is moving forward with great speed. As we like to say, the batteries that will power our cars and trucks in 2030 have not been invented yet.

For those who are concerned that the EV revolution has been dealt a death blow by the fossil fuel crazies, that could be partially true in the US but completely false everywhere else. Tomorrow’s EVs will charge faster, drive further, and last longer than anything available today, and do it all at lower prices. Take heart, EV fans; the best is yet to come. We guaran-damn-tee it, as Al Gore might say.