China has taken a significant step toward large‑scale deployment of solid‑state batteries with the release of its first national battery standard for public consultation.
The National Automotive Standardization Technical Committee released Solid-State Battery for electric vehicle – Part 1: Terms and Classification on 30 December, marking a shift from research-led development to early commercial structuring.
The battery standard draft sets out a detailed framework covering terminology, coding and battery categories, aiming to bring clarity to a rapidly evolving sector. According to insiders cited by STCN and quoted by carnewschina.com, this document represents the opening instalment of a four-part series that will later address performance, safety and service life requirements. A separate technical specification for solid-state electrolytes is also in progress.
A key feature of the draft is its strict classification approach. Batteries are grouped by ion transfer method as liquid, hybrid solid–liquid or solid-state, removing the previously used ‘semi-solid-state’ label. Further distinctions are made by electrolyte chemistry – sulfide, oxide, polymer, halide or composite – alongside conducting ion type and intended application, whether high‑energy or high‑power.
The consultation draft also introduces a tougher verification threshold. To qualify as a solid-state battery, weight loss during vacuum drying must remain below 0.5%, compared with the 1% limit set earlier this year by the China Society of Automotive Engineers. The battery standard drafting team noted that although solid-state batteries should contain no liquid electrolyte, some solid materials may decompose during testing. Industry feedback indicated that authentic solid-state products consistently fall below the 0.5% mark, prompting the tighter requirement.
With no established automotive solid‑state standards in China or abroad, this national framework is expected to reduce conceptual ambiguity, align technical expectations and support supply‑chain coordination.
