An representative from MG’s parent company, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), has stated that will start fitting electric cars with solid-state batteries within the next 12 months.
Speaking at the Chengdu motor show in China, Yu Jingmin, executive vice president of SAIC’s passenger vehicle operations, disclosed that an MG model will soon debut new solid-state battery technology that the business has created and plans to share with other SAIC brands. This bold move pushes forward by more than a year MG’s earlier scheduled launch of solid-state batteries to its production models.
Additionally, it puts MG ahead of Volkswagen and other competitors in the mainstream market when it comes to the anticipated mass-market adoption of solid-state battery technology. A collaboration between SAIC and Chinese battery expert Jiangsu Qingtao resulted in the development of first-generation solid-state batteries for the new L6 saloon, which the MG sibling brand IM Motor has previously unveiled.
MG Upcoming Solid State Battery EV
It is stated that when compared to IM’s current lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, the ‘Lightyear’ battery offers more than twice as much energy density (368 watts per kilogram). Based on China’s Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC), the L6 saloon’s official range is 673 miles thanks to its 133kWh capacity. According to IM Motor, when using a powerful DC charger, the Lightyear battery can give its most recent model up to 249 miles of range in just 12 minutes.
Although MG’s first solid-state battery’s specifications are yet unknown, it is expected to use an 800V electric architecture and have the same 5% liquid mass proportion as the battery used by IM Motor.
Solid-state battery installation on MG vehicles suggests SAIC intends to quickly ramp up production of the new technology in an effort to realize significant economies of scale across all of its brands. In the past, the business stated that it anticipated solid-state batteries would provide long-term cost reductions over LFP batteries of up to 30%.Future versions from SAIC brands Feifan and Roewe are also expected to use solid-state batteries.
The new MG S5 electric SUV, which was disclosed in registry files made with China’s Ministry for Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in July, will be introduced in China in November 2024 ahead of scheduled exports in 2025, Yu affirmed in addition to disclosing MG’s solid-state intentions. Either a single- or dual-motor powertrain with an LFP battery will be available with the new 4476mm-long model, which is expected to go on sale in European markets by this time next year.
