Ouyang Minggao: Solid-State Batteries to Enter Small-Scale Testing in 2026; Current EVs Already Good Enough

At the High-Level Forum on Intelligent and Electric Vehicle Development held on March 13, Academician Ouyang Minggao of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed that solid-state batteries are expected to undergo small-scale vehicle integration tests between 2026 and 2027. He emphasized that, for safety reasons, solid-state battery products during the testing phase should not be sold to the public. Ouyang noted that consumers do not need to wait for solid-state batteries, as current electric vehicles already offer excellent performance and safety. He also explained that solid-state batteries replace the flammable liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion batteries with a solid electrolyte, making them safer and enabling the use of electrode materials with higher energy density—thus positioning solid-state technology as the next-generation direction for battery development.