Chinese battery manufacturer Svolt Energy has begun mass production of its 100kWh Dragon Armor semi-solid battery packs, with the first batch rolling off the production line in Changzhou, China, on Oct 26.
Svolt, which was spun off from Great Wall Motor (GWM) in 2018, is pursuing semi-solid batteries as a long-term commercial technology rather than merely an interim step towards fully solid-state batteries.
Semi-solid batteries retain some liquid electrolyte, unlike fully solid-state designs that replace conventional liquid electrolytes with solid materials.
Svolt said its new battery supports a 900V electrical architecture and 6C fast charging.
According to chairman and CEO Yang Hongxin, it can replenish enough energy for 500km of driving range in 12 minutes. The company did not specify the test cycle or charging conditions behind the claim.
The battery uses separator transfer-printing technology, with liquid cooling above and below the cells to manage heat.
Its underside features six protective layers, which Svolt claims provide three times the impact resistance required by Chinese national standards.
The company also quoted a service life exceeding 3,000 charging cycles and a theoretical vehicle lifespan of more than one million kilometres.
Yang said the battery had secured nominations from several automotive customers, although their identities were not disclosed.
The production milestone comes as Svolt continues developing multiple battery technologies rather than concentrating on a single chemistry.
Alongside semi-solid batteries, it is pursuing fully solid-state technology while retaining lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in its product portfolio.
