NIO ES9 Surpasses 10,000 Deliveries in 30 Days; Zeng Yuqun Says Solid-State Battery Tech Only at Level 4

NIO’s ES9 began deliveries on May 28, 2026, and reached the milestone of delivering its 10,000th vehicle on June 26—just 30 days later—setting a new record as the fastest-selling premium all-electric vehicle priced above RMB 500,000 in China to surpass 10,000 units delivered. NIO founder William Li personally handed over the 10,000th ES9 to Li Ningchuan, Chairman of Forte Technology. At the 2026 Summer Davos Forum in Dalian, Zeng Yuqun, Chairman of CATL, stated that current solid-state battery technology, if rated on a scale from Level 1 to Level 9, has only reached Level 4, with Level 9 representing readiness for mass production. He emphasized that beyond technological maturity, factors such as product reliability, safety, and market acceptance must also be considered. Previously, Zeng had noted that achieving million-unit-scale deployment of all-solid-state batteries before 2030 is “highly unlikely,” and confirmed that CATL internally assesses the current technology readiness level (TRL) at TRL4. On June 23, Leapmotor International inaugurated a newly built battery pack assembly facility in Marín, Spain. The plant has an initial annual capacity of 65,000 battery modules, with expansion space reserved to scale up to 100,000 units per year. It will initially produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries compatible with multiple chemistries. The factory operates under a Sino-Spanish collaborative staffing model, with some Spanish workers having already completed specialized training in China. On June 22, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Mélanie Joly, revealed that BYD, Chery, and Geely have all expressed interest in securing Canadian electric vehicle import quotas and are open to exploring the establishment of joint-venture vehicle assembly plants in Canada. The Canadian government requires that such joint ventures be majority-owned by Canadian capital and rely on local supply chains for production. Joly held talks with representatives from all three companies during her visit to China but did not disclose further details. According to data from China’s National Energy Administration, as of the end of May 2026, the country had a total of 22.497 million charging connectors, up 44.9% year-over-year. This includes 4.951 million public charging connectors (up 25.9% YoY) and 17.546 million private connectors (up 51.4% YoY). The average power output per charging connector nationwide stood at 48.89 kW, an 8.9% increase from the previous year, reflecting a continued rise in the proportion of high-power fast-charging stations deployed.