Beijing officials united China’s leading battery and electric vehicle players, including CATL and BYD, to advance solid-state battery development and commercialization.
China All-Solid-State Battery Collaborative Innovation Platform
The Chinese government officially established the alliance “China All-Solid-State Battery Collaborative Innovation Platform” (CASIP) in January 2024 as it seeks to join the global race in solid-state batteries, Nikkei Asia reports.
It summoned academia and industry leaders, including six of the country’s top 10 power battery makers: CATL, BYD’s FinDreams Battery, CALB, Eve Energy, and Gotion High-tech, among others. It also includes state-owned and private automakers like BYD and NIO.
CASIP will also include various government bodies, including the following:
- The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
- The Ministry of Science and Technology
- The Ministry of Science and Technology
- The National Energy Administration, among others.
Primary purpose
China primarily aims to develop and commercialize all solid-state batteries for electric vehicles to compete with Japan and the West in this particular breakthrough that could significantly disrupt the EV industry.
To be specific, CASIP seeks to build a strong and reliable solid-state battery supply chain by 2030.
“We need to be prepared for the risk that all-solid-state battery technology could overturn.”
Tsinghua University professor Ouyang Minggao
China’s dominance in the global battery market
China has long been leading the global battery market in recent years, with BYD and CATL holding more than 50% share. SNE Research’s data (via Bloomberg) also revealed that CATL’s power battery sales surged by twofold in the US and Europe in 2023.
BYD and CATL supply batteries to numerous electric automakers, including Tesla, BMW, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, and Ford, among others.
All that said, China seeks to defend its dominant position by intensifying its R&D efforts for next-gen battery technologies, particularly pure solid-state. For reference, Toyota already has more than 1,300 all-solid-state battery patents compared to Chinese companies’ less than 100 patents. Therefore, the newly formed alliance will aid in securing China’s lead in the industry.
