MG to launch cheap EV with semi-solid-state battery in 2025
Next-gen MG EV to benefit from longer range and faster charging without a big price premiumMG will introduce a new EV next year that will come with a pioneering semi-solid-state batteries but without, according to the car-maker’s general manager, an exorbitant price premium.
Announcing the tech would be introduced next year via the Weibo social media platform, Zhou Yan said the “first new model to be launched by the MG brand next year may be equipped with a semi-solid battery”.
“Let me report to you first that the price is not expensive,” he said.
Zhou announced the new battery would be standard equipment on the inbound model but did not confirm whether it will be introduced on an all-new EV or added to an existing model.
The senior exec made no statement on what performance gains the new battery tech would bring, but Autocar, who unearthed the posting, suggests owners will benefit from ‘significant’ improvements when it comes to energy density, range, charging speeds and thermal stability.
Until now, the biggest barrier to semi-solid-state and solid-state technology – considered the holy grail of unlocking EV potential – has been overcoming manufacturing complexity and upscaling the tech to mass production.
The tech relies on using a solid and liquid gel electrolytes that are more resilient at dealing with the extremely high temperatures involved with ultra-fast charging.
Beating MG to market, Nio has already introduced its semi-solid-state battery in its line-up, but the tech is so expensive the brand will uniquely only let you rent it on a day-to-day basis thanks to its battery-swap tech.
Nio hasn’t given precise costs for the huge 150kWh battery-pack – that costs around $30 a day to rent – but has said its value is on par with what it charges for an entire Nio ET5 ($65,000).
MG hopes rolling out its semi-solid-state and solid-state tech first and at affordable prices will give it the winning edge over all its rivals, including Volkswagen and Toyota.
The VW Group has yet to confirm when its next-gen batteries will arrive, despite initially declaring back in 2020 that it was aiming to be one of the pioneers of the tech.
Toyota, meanwhile, thinks it won't begin mass-producing cars equipped with the tech until 2027.
Full details of MG’s solid-state tech are expected to emerge in the coming weeks, but it’s thought the advanced batteries might be related to the IM Motors tech that has already announced.
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