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BYD plans to launch a vehicle featuring its solid-state battery technology as early as next year. This was announced by the company’s Executive Vice President, Stella Li, during an interview with Carwow.es in Valencia, Spain. This announcement outlines the immediate goal for a demonstration, but does not yet set a timeline for retail sales or mass production.
Stella Li assured that any battery technology can be found in one of BYD’s research and development divisions, as the company is actively exploring this field. She noted that when it comes to solid-state batteries, BYD holds a leading position both in the commercial sector and in terms of technology. To prove this, the company will even launch its first model equipped with this technology next year.
The top executive emphasized that the battery division is studying not only the chemical composition of the cells but also manufacturing capabilities and equipment design. However, she did not specify a production date, the vehicle’s name, technical specifications, or battery performance metrics, leaving this announcement at the technology demonstration stage.
The FinDreams division is developing an inorganic sulfide solid-state electrolyte technology based on materials containing lithium, phosphorus, sulfur, and chlorine (LPSC). In addition, the company reported the creation of prototype sulfide cells with capacities of 20 Ah and 60 Ah, whose target energy density approaches 400 Wh/kg, although performance at the individual-cell level does not yet guarantee the same efficiency for the entire battery pack.
Sulfides provide high ionic conductivity; however, the transition from laboratory samples to automotive battery packs is accompanied by additional engineering challenges. Solid-state contacts may lose connection density due to the expansion and contraction of the electrodes, which causes problems with impedance and capacity retention. As a result, some sulfide architectures require constant mechanical pressure within the structure, which places additional demands on the battery’s structure and compression control.
A battery installed in a moving vehicle must withstand vibrations, temperature fluctuations, and repeated charge-discharge cycles while maintaining its mechanical and thermal operating parameters. A demonstration in a vehicle will allow us to test both the integration of the entire system and the cell technology itself.
Manufacturing processes present yet another challenge. Standard processing of wet electrodes involves solvents capable of reacting with sulfide electrolytes, which is why development efforts are shifting toward dry processes using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibrillation. FinDreams is collaborating with domestic equipment suppliers on this method at pilot plants, but scaling up to mass production volumes remains a separate challenge.
Moisture poses an additional threat, as sulfide electrolytes can release hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) during hydrolysis. Controlling humidity and sealing the environment within cells and modules are of paramount importance both during manufacturing and throughout the machine’s operation. Recent patent applications filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration also indicate work on composite cathode structures and interfaces between sulfide and halide solid electrolytes, as previously reported by CarNewsChina.
BYD is joining the broader race in the field of solid-state technologies. Toyota is targeting a market debut for electric vehicles powered by all-solid-state batteries in 2027–2028 as part of a partnership with Idemitsu Kosan, while Samsung SDI plans to begin mass production of such batteries in 2027. These timelines do not provide a clear picture of which company is ahead of the competition, as the main challenge remains the transition from pilot development and testing to reliable, large-scale production.
The roadmap extends beyond next year. FinDreams Battery’s chief technologist, Sun Huajun, outlined plans to conduct small-scale trials involving approximately 1,000 vehicles closer to 2027, while full-scale commercial production is scheduled for around 2030. The first applications are expected to focus on premium platforms, particularly the flagship vehicles from Yangwang and Denza, where the additional cost of early-stage solid-state technologies is easier to justify.
Specialized sulfide precursors currently cost tens of times more than conventional liquid-electrolyte materials, creating financial pressure on cell production economics and the scaling process. BYD is also developing its own solid-state battery technologies as part of China’s Collaborative Innovation Platform for Solid-State Batteries (CASIP). This is a government initiative involving industry and research centers, linked to a government research and development program worth approximately $830 million.
BYD’s Chief Scientist Lian Yubo stated that conventional lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes and all-solid-state systems are capable of coexisting for 15–20 years, pointing to a prolonged transition period rather than an immediate replacement of traditional batteries. Next year, the car will demonstrate whether BYD’s sulfide technology can function outside the laboratory, while mass production remains a much more distant step on the company’s path.