Nio produces battery packs with semi-solid-state cells in series
Nio held a ceremony in Nanjing in the Chinese province of Jiangsu in the middle of the week to celebrate the first 150 kWh battery pack produced in series. The Chinese carmaker currently uses 70/75 kWh packs in its vehicles for standard and 100 kWh packs for extended ranges. In March, Nio announced that it would add the 150 kWh version to its portfolio in Q2/2024.
According to CN EV News, the new battery pack has the highest energy content currently being mass-produced in the Chinese passenger car segment. Last summer, Chinese battery specialist WeLion delivered its first semi-solid-state battery cells to Nio. Now, the assembly of entire battery systems will follow.
According to the Chinese test cycle, Nio models with the semi-solid-state battery can travel up to 1,055 kilometres, but the battery is very expensive. Nio co-founder and president Qin Lihong mentioned over a year ago that the package costs about as much as the entire ET5 model. That is currently available in China for a starting price of 298,000 yuan (including the battery), equivalent to about 39,000 euros.
This does not appear to prevent Nio from relying on the technology on a large scale in the future. According to documents from China’s regulatory authority, a double-digit number of units will potentially be equipped with WeLion batteries. As modified model specifications are subject to notification in China, the extent of the planned use of these cells at Nio is well documented. In autumn, applications were submitted to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) for extended product specifications with semi-solid-state cells from WeLion for eleven models – specifically for nine SUVs and two saloons.
Nio first announced the 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery at the launch of its flagship ET7 saloon in January 2021. In November 2022, the first semi-solid-state cells rolled off the production line at WeLion’s factory in Huzhou. The first tranche then went to Nio in July 2023.
Nio currently offers nine models, specifically the ET9, ES8, ES7, ES6, EC7, EC6, ET7, ET5 and ET5 Touring. The models are all designed for battery swapping but can also be charged regularly.
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