China’s solid-state battery company Welion New Energy Chairman Yu Huigen has revealed a breakthrough in solid-state battery technology, announcing that the company has achieved an industry-leading energy density of 824 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) in laboratory tests, with future targets exceeding 1000 Wh/kg.
“Our laboratory tests have demonstrated solid-state batteries with energy densities reaching 824 Wh/kg, and we expect to break the 1000 Wh/kg barrier in the long term,” Yu stated during a recent TV programme, Dialogue, of Chinese state media CCTV.
Despite the technical breakthrough, Yu acknowledged that cost factors, particularly expensive raw materials in sulfide-based electrolyte systems, remain the primary obstacle to mass commercialisation.
“Initially, these batteries will be deployed in price-insensitive applications where safety is paramount,” Yu explained. He specifically highlighted humanoid robots as a promising early application field for the technology.
Founded in 2016, Welion New Energy emerged from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Physics as an industry-academia collaboration. The company has deep connections to China’s battery research elite—its founding team includes Professor Chen Liquan, widely known as the “father of Chinese lithium batteries” and notably the doctoral advisor to Robin Zeng, founder of CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited), the world’s largest battery manufacturer.
The company has built a track record in advanced battery development. In 2023, Welion supplied Nio with 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery packs, enabling the electric vehicle to achieve a record-breaking 1,044 kilometre driving range on a single charge.
Welion New Energy has established production bases in Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shandong, with a current annual production capacity of 28.2 GWh and plans to exceed 100 GWh. The company’s Shenzhen facility serves as a testing ground for solid-state batteries, with full-scale production targeted for around 2027.
According to recent regulatory filings with the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Welion New Energy is now undergoing IPO guidance with CITIC Securities, preparing to list on China’s Growth Enterprise Market. If successful, it would become the first pure-play solid-state battery company to go public in China.
Welion New Energy has previously secured investments through multiple rounds. Among its many investors, beyond major capital firms like Sequoia and Hillhouse, companies such as Huawei, Geely, Xiaomi, and Nio have also invested in the company.
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