Chinese startup achieves 120 Ah solid-state cell

Chinese solid-state battery startup Talent New Energy has presented a prototype battery cell with an energy density that would enable cars a range of around 2,000 kilometres. Whether the cell is suitable for mass production remains to be seen.

According to the CN EV Post, an official statement from the company claims the new lithium solid-state cell offers a charging capacity of 120 Ah and an energy density of 720 Wh/kg.

Talent New Energy was founded in 2018 and specialises in the development of cells with semi-solid and solid electrolytes. The first two generations developed by the start-up achieved a maximum energy density of 400 to 500 Wh/kg with a semi-solid electrolyte. The third generation now presented no longer contains any liquid components but is said to achieve the same energy density.

Talent claims to use ultra-thin, dense composite oxide electrolytes, high-capacity cathode and anode materials and an integrated casting process in its prototype. The anode consists of lithium-rich manganese-based materials, while the cathode is made of a lithium metal-based composite material. The company also talks about the development of an “efficient ion and electron transport network” and the use of “proprietary flexible layer materials”.

CN EV Post says that the cell presented could theoretically support a range of around 2,000 kilometres “If it can be produced in series”, which is apparently not yet clear. The Chinese start up is not revealing when they expect to achieve market maturity with the new solid-state batteries.

On its website, the company describes itself as “the market leader of the new generation of high-performance power batteries,” which appears to refer to its semi-solid-state batteries, which are described on the website as fitting for cars, commercial vehicles, motorbikes, stationary storage and power tools.

Talent New Energy was founded six years ago and raised an investment from Chinese real estate developer Country Garden in 2022. The start-up is headquartered in Beijing with the New Energy Advanced Materials Research Institute and Industrialization Joint R&D Center and a 2GWh manufacturing plant in Guangzhou, as well as several other locations under development. The start-up is described in other Chinese media as a unicorn, with numerous large capital investors named on its website.

Additional information on the website indicated that during COP28 in Dubai, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) officially released the second edition of the Green Technology Manual where Talent New Energy is included in the book for its self-developed “high-performance oxide solid-state electrolyte interface flexible layer material and electrolyte ultra-thin film preparation technology/interface flexing technology.”

cnevpost.com, ctlne.com (in Mandarin)