Behind China's Ambitions, Solid-State Technology Still Holds Serious Risks

Photo: Illustration of solid state batteries. (Photo: Arena EV)

JAKARTA - Amid the massive push towards next-generation batteries, discussions on the safety of solid-state batteries (SSB) have heated up in China throughout December 2025. Industry experts warn that the market should not be lulled into a false sense of security that this technology is completely safe.

Although SSB continues to be positioned as the successor to lithium-ion batteries, a number of risks are considered unanswered, especially in efforts to implement large-scale for future electric vehicles. As reported by Carnewschina, Saturday, December 20.

Solid-state batteries replace liquid electrolytes with solid materials, offering higher energy density as well as wider operational safety space. This advantage triggers a rapid investment throughout 2025, especially with the plan to implement China's national battery safety standards on July 1, 2026.

The rule requires new batteries to withstand abuse tests without burning or exploding within five minutes. However, industry observers insist that the standard does not necessarily guarantee SSB is risk-free, especially since it is still in the lithium battery category.

At the 2025 World Power Battery Conference, academics highlighted that SSB still has the potential for thermal runaway. The lithium metal commonly used in solid-state designs is called highly reactive, it can even react directly with the cathode material without oxygen and trigger an aluminothermal reaction up to 2,500 °C under extreme conditions.

Research shows that the reaction is still possible even when the battery is completely dead. The problem of lithium dendrites, which is a trigger for short circuits in liquid lithium-ion batteries, has not completely disappeared.

Although solid electrolytes are theoretically capable of suppressing dendrite growth, microcracks in real materials can become new conduction paths. On the other hand, the use of high nickel cathodes and silicon-based anodes in many prototypes also triggers the risk of thermal instability.

Meanwhile, major Chinese automakers continue to accelerate the development of solid-state batteries. FAW Group targets Hongqi vehicles with SSB in 2027, while GAC Group has started trial production at a pilot facility for testing a limited number of vehicles.

Dongfeng Motor is aiming for mass production by the end of 2026 with an energy density of around 350 Wh/kg that has the potential to push electric vehicle range to penetrate 1,000 km. SAIC Motor and Chery Automobile are also moving into the prototype and initial testing stages.

This series of ambitious steps has led experts to increasingly emphasize strict safety testing before SSB is widely marketed. They warn that promoting solid-state as a surefire solution to the risk of fire or explosion is feared to mislead the public.

For comparison, current liquid lithium-ion batteries continue to show improvement through flame-resistant electrolytes, electrode coatings, to high-temperature cell designs. In the industry's view, the future of energy is likely to run side by side, SSB for high energy needs and strict security, while lithium-ion batteries remain relevant for large, efficient, and cost-controlled use.