Chinese maker of semi-solid EV batteries reports delivery jump amid range rivalry

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Deliveries by Beijing WeLion rose 31 per cent in May as backer Nio and other EV makers push vehicle ranges towards 1,000km on a charge

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William Li, CEO of Chinese EV maker Nio, stands next to the company’s ET7 model during an interview at the Beijing Auto Show on April 25, 2024. Photo: AFP

Daniel Renin Shanghai

Published: 8:28pm, 17 Jun 2024Updated: 10:36am, 27 Sep 2024

Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology, a maker of semi-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), reported a jump in delivery volume last month, the latest sign that Chinese EV builders are incorporating advanced technology to extend the driving range of their premium models.

The company, backed by Shanghai-based EV producer Nio, supplied 482.9 megawatt hours (MWh) of batteries to carmakers in May, up 30.9 per cent from a month earlier, according to the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance.

WeLion’s 150-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery packs enable Nio to build EVs that can go as far as 1,000km on a single charge, and WeLion’s monthly delivery number translates to 3,200 of the 150kWh batteries.

“Battery technology is the most powerful weapon to propel the rise of the Chinese EV sector,” said Qian Kang, who owns car components businesses in East China’s Zhejiang province. “A wider use of the most advanced solid-state battery will eventually help the major assemblers move up the value chain when their high-performance cars with longer ranges attract more wealthy customers.”

Solid-state batteries are deemed a better option than batteries based on liquid electrolytes, which most EV makers use at present, because of safety, reliability and efficiency reasons. However, they require higher development and production costs. No fully solid-state EV batteries have been commercialised.

WeLion’s semi-solid-state batteries add liquid to solid electrolytes, which can also improve performance. The company, mainland China’s only provider of such batteries for EVs, also supplies major Chinese carmakers besides Nio, according to its website. It did not name the clients.

At the beginning of 2021, Nio announced that the extended edition of its ET7 sedan would go as far as 1,000km on a charge, powered by a 150kWh solid-state battery pack. It did not reveal the name of the supplier at the time.