News

Dec 01, 2023

New Era of Electric Cars with Semi

In a groundbreaking move, China’s Nio, specializing in electric vehicles, has begun incorporating semi-solid-state battery cells from WeLion into its cars. Aiming for the completion of its first range

In a groundbreaking move, China’s Nio, specializing in electric vehicles, has begun incorporating semi-solid-state battery cells from WeLion into its cars. Aiming for the completion of its first range of electric cars incorporated with these 150 kWh battery packs by the end of July. They accomplished the initial cell delivery in a ceremony that took place a week ago alongside WeLion’s guarantee commitment and an annual order.

There were several delays in the acquisition and incorporation of these semi-solid state cells, but the energy dense 150 kWh battery pack came into existence by July. Nio’s Chairman and CEO, William Li, first confirmed this development in May. The announcement coincided with the unveiling of the new ES6 model that boasts the new battery, promising a remarkable driving range of 930 kilometres.

Not much detail about the 150 kWh battery pack is publicly known, other than its impressive energy density of 360 Wh/kg. Also, it’s reported that Nio cars equipped with this battery pack weigh only slightly more than their previous models. The semi-solid state cells feature an electrolyte that is solid and anode materials composed of silicon graphite composite. There’s also a cathode with ultra-high nickel content.

In a surprising revelation, Qin Lihong, the president and co-founder of Nio, stated at a February event that the 150 kWh battery pack’s cost is comparable to that of an ET5 Sedan, a model that currently prices from 298,000 Yuan (approximately 38,000 euros). However, they stated that initially, the battery pack will only be available for rent, not for purchase.

Nio’s business model is unique in offering battery swap technology in all their models. This means customers can interchange the battery model if they wish. Originally, only the same type of battery could be swapped. After conducting a pilot project, Nio declared in December 2021 that battery packs can be upgraded according to customer’s needs, offering packs with 75 or 100 kWh.

Zeng Shizhe, Vice President of Nio Battery Systems, asserted at the delivery ceremony that the Li-ion cell’s delivery is beneficial to all Nio owners, who can relish the advantages the battery upgrade offers. The joint development between WeLion and Nio is seen as a significant technological milestone for the whole industry.

WeLion is a Beijing-based battery specialist that commenced the production of the inaugural semi-solid-state battery in December 2022 in its factory in Huzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province. All these achievements took place within a year of constructing the plant. Announcements about the construction of an additional plant for hybrid battery cells, with a blend of solid and liquid electrolyte, and pure solid-state battery cells occurred in March. To top up these advancements, WeLion announced the launch of a research and development center in Huzhou.

The collaboration with Nio, however, isn’t exclusive. Mentioning previous statements made by Tian Qiyou, General Manager of WeLion’s Huzhou factory, WeLion aims to engage with leading global automakers, but they didn’t disclose which car manufacturers these would be. This move aligns with WeLion’s goal to facilitate the smooth progression of mass production as initially planned.