CATL Chairman Robin Zeng downplays immediate commercial viability of solid-state batteries

Robin Zeng Yuqun, head of the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) battery maker, has played down expectations for the much-hyped solid-state battery technology, predicting an inflection point would not take place until 2030.

The founder and chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) also warned on Tuesday that commercial viability of the next-generation batteries was yet to be established.

“Based on a measure of level one to nine, the technology has only reached level four so far,” Zeng told a panel at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as “Summer Davos”, held in Dalian, in northeast China’s Liaoning province, according to a video clip posted online.

“Even if the products are delivered, it remains to be seen whether they will be well received and become a commercial success on the market,” he said.

CATL confirmed Zeng’s comments on Thursday.

Zeng added that mass production of the batteries – which use a solid electrolyte to conduct ions between electrodes – would not begin until 2030.

The battery technology is widely seen as a superior alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries that rely on liquid or gel-based materials.