Chery announced on October 18 that it would launch an all-solid state battery in 2026. The announcement was made at the Chery Global Innovation Conference. Also announced was the Kunpeng battery brand which initially will have three series of batteries all capable of 6C charging – or adding 400 km range in 5 minutes.
With solid-state batteries, Chery announced a timeline of achieving an energy density of 400 Wh/kg this year, increasing to 600 Wh/kg in 2025, with the first car application happening in 2026. This will be followed by initial batch production in 2027. The company claims it will give EVs a range of 1500 km.
More immediately, the announcement of three battery series under the Kunpeng brand, namely square lithium iron phosphate, square ternary, and large cylindrical ternary, was made. One of the most noteworthy elements is that all three series can be charged at up to 6C.
C stands for charging rate, which is calculated by dividing the charging current (A) by the battery’s rated capacity (Ah). The higher the charging rate, the faster the battery can be charged or discharged. Chery claims that its 6C batteries can add the equivalent fo 400 km range in 5 minutes.
The square lithium iron phosphate batteries have an energy density of 120-160 Wh/kg and are aimed at EVs with a 200-600 km range and PHEVs and EREVs with an all-electric range of 100-200 km. They can support 1C-6C charging and can be used in ambient temperatures between -30°C and 65°C.
The square ternary batteries are for EVs with 600-800 km range and PHEVs and EREVs with all-electric ranges of 150-300 km. Energy density is 140-200 Wh/kg. Temperatures supported are -40°C to 65°C and it can support 2C-6C charging.
Finally, the large cylindrical series is for EVs with a range of 700-1200 km and PHEVs and EREVs with all-electric ranges of 150-300 km. Again, it supports 2C-6C charging.
The Kunpeng series is capable of more than 3,000 charging cycles and has multi-section energy-absorbing design technology that supports one second of rapid directional pressure relief. Furthermore, Chery demonstrated that one of its cells with a cut corner could still be used.
Presumably, over the coming months, the Kunpeng series of batteries will start making their way into Chery’s NEVs. Chery’s NEV sales exceeded 60,000 in September out of a total of 244,534, and Yin Tongyue, chairman of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., claims they will reach 80,000 this month and 100,000 by the end of the year.
It should be noted that the SAIC General Motors joint venture also recently announced 6C batteries, which will be used from 2025.
Source: Fast Technology, Autohome
