FAW’s Hongqi aims to sell solid-state battery EVs from 2027
A. Krivonosov
FAW will launch Hongqi electric cars with solid-state batteries from 2027, backed by a 6bn yuan state consortium to speed cell development and manufacturing.
FAW says its premium marque Hongqi plans to start selling electric cars with solid-state batteries from 2027. The strategy is pragmatic: a new, costly technology that is still hard to scale is easier to launch in the luxury arena, where volumes are modest, margins are higher, and early costs can be absorbed more smoothly.
The accelerator here is FAW’s role in a state-backed Chinese industry consortium for solid-state batteries funded with 6 billion yuan (about €730 million). Alongside FAW are SAIC, Geely, BYD, and battery leaders such as CATL and WeLion. The point of the alliance is to share risk and push materials, cells, and manufacturing toward a workable level of maturity faster.
According to the source, FAW has already completed production of 66 Ah solid-state cells and is simultaneously collaborating with 27 companies and research institutes to refine the design and run tests under different operating modes. If the schedule holds, within roughly a year these cells should form the basis of battery packs for Hongqi sedans and SUVs.
The first specific production lineup and the battery supplier have not been named yet, but the direction is clear: Chinese carmakers are racing to turn the long-discussed promise of solid-state technology into actual products.
