MG became the first manufacturer to introduce semi-solid-state battery technology to the mainstream electric vehicle market in Europe and the UK. The company, which is part of China's SAIC Motor Group, announced that it will equip the latest MG4 EV Urban series with semi-solid-state batteries by the end of 2026, followed by two other models with new SolidCore batteries. The new battery is expected to be sold alongside the existing LFP battery, which currently gives the MG4 EV Urban a range of 258 miles.

The industry has been talking about solid-state battery technology for a long time. Major manufacturers have repeatedly announced that they will launch solid-state batteries "next year or the year after. Because solid-state battery technology replaces the liquid electrolyte (which is the most volatile part of the battery) with a solid electrolyte, it is seen as the next disruptive change. In theory, solid-state batteries can provide higher safety, energy density, charging speed and even battery life. All of this sounds attractive.

The problem, however, is that the notion that solid-state batteries are "only a year or two away" has been around for nearly a decade, while the existing lithium-ion battery (NMC) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries have made tremendous progress. Still, MG is finally bringing solid-state technology into a mainstream and affordable electric car, which is still heavy news. MG's "SolidCore" semi-solid-state battery uses the new lithium manganate (LMO) chemical system, with a semi-solid electrolyte positive electrode, almost like a shield covering the battery pack. The liquid electrolyte content of this new battery is only 5%, while traditional NMC and LFP batteries usually contain about 20% liquid electrolyte. Of course, an all-solid-state battery will contain no liquid electrolyte at all.

SolidCore LMO battery chemistry enables approximately 15% faster charging at very low temperatures than comparable LFP batteries, while improving performance and ensuring a safer battery pack. MG did not use a nail through the battery in a live demonstration like BYD (BYD is famous for its LFP-based blade battery), but it showed a video of a bolt through the battery pack, which did not appear to catch fire. This is a little comforting. Unfortunately, MG did not disclose any specific details. Dr. Li Zheng, MG's chief battery scientist, would not disclose specific battery life or charging data, but he told CAR magazine: "We can increase the energy density of SolidCore batteries, but the energy density of these first batteries will be very similar to the existing LFP battery technology. It provides better performance and charging speed-especially in extremely cold weather, as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius."

What's even more interesting for those waiting for solid-state batteries to change the world of electric vehicles is that MG has mapped out the evolution of this technology and said that the battery's second-and third-generation products could have a range of up to 621 miles (1000 kilometers). MG did not elaborate on the battery size required to achieve this range, so it was not possible to evaluate efficiency. But MG has begun to talk about the next step. Dr. Li said: "We plan to launch a new product with higher energy density next year." Hopefully we won't have to wait too long. Although MG is secretive about this, Dr. Li revealed that the production cost of this new semi-solid-state battery is actually comparable to the company's existing LFP battery (the latter has become popular in MG4 and MG4 EV Urban). Given that the technology will first be applied to the budget-oriented MG4 EV Urban, it is expected to be quite affordable when it goes on sale later this year.

According to Dr. Li, the new SolidCore battery is more environmentally friendly and easier to recycle than existing technologies such as LFP because it contains less liquid electrolyte. This is because the liquid electrolyte is the part of the battery that may burn in the event of oxygen, and reducing its content is conducive to safer and more convenient recovery. Manganese is an important metal component in the new LMO SolidCore unit and the main component in the NMC (nickel-cobalt-manganese) chemical system used by most electric vehicles in Europe. It can be fully recycled and retains 100 percent of its conductivity when reused in new batteries. Recycling any EV battery remains challenging, but the core component of this new meta-solid-state battery should prove easier (or at least no more difficult) to recycle than the common lithium iron phosphate and lithium-ion NMC batteries.

We also asked the same question: Since we understand the chemistry of this new semisolid battery, and its energy density and cost are similar to LFP, why not use LFP directly? Dr. Li replied: "The real benefit to customers is additional safety and faster charging in cold weather." In addition, there have been rumors that the next-generation evolution of semi-solid-state batteries is approaching the mass production stage (in China) and promises to provide longer battery life. At the same time, it must be admitted that the benefits of this first semi-solid-state battery for customers are quite limited. Although there are improvements in safety and charging speed, this is not a huge incentive, because the existing LFP and NMC batteries have been proven to be very safe, and MG's estimated charging speed is 15% faster than LFP batteries, indicating that the existing NMC battery technology may be significantly better than SolidCore batteries in charging performance. If MG can bring SolidCore semi-solid-state batteries into the MG4 EV Urban at a price comparable to LFP batteries, it will undoubtedly be an improvement-involving the cold weather charging and safety we discussed. However, until MG cashes in on the higher energy density hinted at before, the benefits to consumers are minimal at best. We'll see how the SolidCore battery actually performs on the MG4 EV Urban, but in terms of these early details, we're more looking forward to the next generation, as it seems to bring more tangible benefits to electric car drivers. At the very least, we feel a little déjà vu that the real leap forward in solid-state battery technology is still "a year or two" away.