Automakers and chemical engineers are pivoting toward semi-solid-state batteries featuring gel electrolytes as true all-solid-state systems face persistent commercialisation delays until at least 2030. While companies like Toyota and BYD continue to pilot all-solid-state prototypes, the immediate industrial shift focuses on “gel” chemistry to bridge the performance gap in electric vehicle (EV) range and safety.
These semi-solid systems are already entering large-scale vehicle integration, offering energy densities between 350 and 420 Wh/kg, far exceeding current liquid lithium-ion standards.
The push for gel electrolytes comes as the industry acknowledges that the “holy grail” of battery technology—the all-solid-state battery (ASSB)—remains too expensive and technically volatile for the mass market today. While a liquid electrolyte is flammable and a solid one is difficult to manufacture at scale, a gel acts as a stable middle ground.
This “semi-solid” approach allows manufacturers to use existing production lines while significantly reduces the risk of thermal runaway, a critical concern for high-performance industrial applications.
For engineers and plant managers, this represents a pragmatic shift in manufacturing execution systems designed to handle evolved chemical compositions. Rather than waiting for a total overhaul of factory architecture required by sulfide-based solid electrolytes, firms can iterate on current pouch and prismatic cell designs.
This incremental step is crucial for maintaining productivity while meeting the rising demand for higher energy density in heavy machinery and long-range transport.
Commercial timelines for solid-state battery deployment
The landscape for battery commercialisation is currently split between immediate pilot projects and a long-term roadmap for mass production. In 2024, BYD completed pilot production of a 60Ah all-solid-state battery with an energy density of 400Wh/kg.
Despite this milestone, the company does not anticipate large-scale mass production or the full replacement of liquid batteries until after 2030, highlighting the massive scaling challenges still inherent in the technology.
Other major players are following similar staggered schedules to manage technical risk. Honda plans to launch a demonstration production line soon, with the intent to install all-solid-state units in new models between 2025 and 2030. Meanwhile, GAC Group has officially announced that its all-solid-state technology will be mass-produced for its Haobo models starting in 2026.
This period is being dubbed “Year One” of mass production, though “mass” in this context refers to high-end, low-volume vehicles rather than affordable consumer cars.
Prototyping and initial shipping milestones
In the first quarter of 2026, Ilika began shipping 10Ah solid-state battery prototypes to automotive and industrial customers, signalling that the technology is finally moving out of the lab and into the hands of OEMs for testing. This follows a period of intense scrutiny over performance claims.
For instance, Donut Lab recently announced an all-solid-state battery for Verge Motorcycles, a claim that Yang Hongxin, chairman and CEO of Svolt Energy, publicly questioned due to allegedly contradictory technical parameters.
Battery startups and established giants are also investing heavily in the chemical precursors required for these systems. Gotion High-Tech is moving to commission a kiloton-scale production line for lithium sulfide. The company eventually targets a 50,000 tons-per-year capacity by 2030.
This infrastructure is essential because the current lack of a supply chain for solid electrolytes remains a primary bottleneck for collaborative automation and industrial output in the energy sector.
The rise of semi-solid batteries and gel electrolytes
Gel electrolytes offer a less volatile alternative to the liquid electrolytes found in traditional lithium-ion batteries without the manufacturing complexity of all-solid systems. These semi-solid batteries are already being integrated into vehicles today.
They provide a volumetric energy density that often exceeds 800Wh/L, allowing for vehicle ranges that can top 1,000 kilometres on a single charge. This performance is particularly attractive for the logistics and mining sectors where downtime for charging is a major operational cost.
The manufacturing advantage of gels lies in their “drop-in” potential. Unlike all-solid-state batteries, which may require vacuum-sealed production environments and entirely new stacking processes, semi-solid cells can be produced using modified versions of existing equipment. This allows companies to scale up much faster.
Currently, energy densities for these cells are reaching levels once thought exclusive to solid-state research, which makes them the dominant choice for near-term industrial expansion.
Material science breakthroughs in sulfide production
The transition to solid-state will eventually depend on the cost of sulfide-based electrolytes. Analysts suggest that for ASSBs to penetrate the mid-to-high-end passenger vehicle market, costs must drop to between RMB 1.2 and 1.5 per Wh by 2028. To meet this target, companies like Ampcera are scaling 20-ton pilot plants toward 1,000-ton capacities.
Achieving these economies of scale is the only way to move beyond the current “small batch” phase of production seen at Toyota and Nissan.
Strategic roadmaps for 2027 and beyond
The year 2027 is shaping up to be a pivotal “demonstration year” for the industry. BYD plans to install its all-solid-state batteries in a small batch of high-end coupes with ranges exceeding 1,200 kilometres. Toyota also aims to launch its first pure electric vehicles equipped with ASSB technology in the same timeframe.
These projects serve as vital stress tests for the technology before the 2030 target for “large-scale” production arrives.
For industrial professionals, the takeaway is clear: the energy transition is not waiting for a single “breakthrough” moment. It is happening through the steady application of semi-solid chemistry and the gradual build-out of chemical supply chains. As com/african-iot-sector-growth-industrial-impact/”>industrial connectivity and IoT continue to demand more reliable, energy-dense power sources, the hybrid nature of gel electrolytes provides the most viable path forward for the rest of the decade.
While BloombergNEF projects that solid-state batteries will only account for 10% of global demand by 2035, the impact on specific high-value sectors will be much higher. The focus for the next five years will remain on perfecting the “gel bridge”—minimising flammability and maximising density—while the massive capital investments required for all-solid-state manufacturing continue to mature in the background.
