'Most Companies Are Struggling': Executive Shares An Uncomfortable Truth About Solid-State EV Batteries
Korean battery giant LG Energy Solution said key challenges in solid-state battery development remain.
Solid-state batteries will likely be commercialized at a larger scale in non-automotive applications before widespread electric vehicle adoption, Korean battery giant LG Energy Solution said during a media roundtable with reporters at its newly opened Lansing, Michigan, battery plant last week.
You’re probably exhausted from reading all about solid-state battery-powered EVs that sound like they’re about to hit the market but never do. But all the investment and research behind the technology from startups and established players is real. Battery scientists believe solid-state cells can unlock substantially more driving range, improve the cells’ thermal profiles to eliminate fire risks, and charge at blistering speeds.
However, LGES echoed the concerns around its mass manufacturing, saying progress has yet to happen on that front. “The problem with solid state is large-scale production,” Robert Lee, North America president for LGES said. “It has very good energy density, so if you're making a small form factor, you should be able to get there. If you’re making very large form factors, most companies are struggling,” he added.
Stellantis Factorial Solid-State Battery Module
Lee believes EVs won’t be the first application for mass-market solid-state batteries. “You will see that in your smartphones probably a decade before you would see it in EVs,” he added. “I would expect specialized applications first before we’re able to contemplate that as fit for EVs or even ESS.”
Those specialized applications could be smartphones, drones, and even performance-focused EVs initially. Mercedes-Benz last year covered nearly 750 miles on a single charge in a prototype EQS sedan equipped with American startup Factorial Energy’s semi-solid-state battery. BMW has installed an all-solid-state battery from Colorado startup Solid Power in a prototype i7. And Stellantis is now also testing a semi-solid-state pack in a Dodge Charger Daytona EV. We’re seeing more and more of these batteries come out of the lab, and into real-world testing.
Over in China, the timeline and development speed on solid-state batteries appears to be even more aggressive. BYD, CATL, Geely and several other players are all fiercely racing against each other to begin pilot programs in 2027, followed by wider potential deployment by the end of the decade.
However, advancements in current lithium ion packs will continue to drive progress in EV range and charging performance, LGES said.
The company is working with General Motors to develop lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries. These cells will use far less nickel and cobalt, which are expensive and environmentally damaging to mine, while relying more heavily on manganese, which can be processed in the U.S. GM has said LMR batteries will power its full-size trucks and SUVs from 2028 onward, delivering more than 400 miles of range while costing roughly the same as lower-cost LFP batteries.
General Motors LMR Battery
The Korean battery maker is also working on other next-generation technologies, including more advanced lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion cells.
The company is gearing up to produce its new 46-series lithium-ion cells for EVs at its upcoming gigafactory in Arizona. LGES said these larger-format cells are better suited to next-generation EVs with structural battery packs, while further advancements could eventually enable 10-minute charging times and improve pack safety.
“We just want to have all those options open,” Devon Wilson, the vice president of sales and marketing at LGES Vertech, said. “We continue to look at other chemistries [and] sodium that’s a big one for us,” he said, adding that the company is preparing a pilot program for sodium-ion batteries for energy storage systems.
Chinese battery giant CATL has already raced ahead with the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries, but the U.S. is beginning to catch up, with General Motors also announcing plans to deploy sodium-ion ESS batteries by the end of the decade.
Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
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Facts Only
* LG Energy Solution stated that key challenges in solid-state battery development remain.
* Solid-state batteries are expected to be commercialized in non-automotive applications before widespread electric vehicle adoption.
* Battery scientists believe solid-state cells can unlock greater driving range, improve thermal profiles to eliminate fire risks, and enable fast charging.
* Robert Lee, North America president for LGES, noted that the problem with solid-state is large-scale production.
* Progress on mass manufacturing of solid-state batteries is currently lacking.
* The technology will likely see specialized applications first, such as in smartphones, drones, and performance EVs, before broader EV or Energy Storage System (ESS) use.
* Prototypes utilizing semi-solid-state batteries include those from Factorial Energy (Stellantis), Solid Power (BMW), and a pack in a Dodge Charger Daytona EV.
* Chinese players such as BYD, CATL, and Geely are racing toward pilot programs in 2027 for solid-state batteries.
* LGES is developing lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries with General Motors to reduce nickel and cobalt use; these LMR batteries are planned for full-size trucks and SUVs starting in 2028, offering over 400 miles of range.
* LGES is working on advanced lithium-ion cells and sodium-ion cells.
* LGES plans to produce 46-series lithium-ion cells for EVs at its Arizona gigafactory, suited for structural battery packs.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The narrative positions the transition to solid-state batteries as being stalled not by scientific feasibility, but by industrial scale-up—a classic tension between laboratory potential and manufacturing reality. The focus shifts rapidly from the theoretical promise of high energy density to the logistical bottleneck of production capacity, which is echoed by LGES's assessment that large-form factor mass production remains a struggle for most companies. This pattern suggests that hype cycles around disruptive technology often outpace the necessary foundational industrial investment required for real-world deployment.
The concurrent pivot toward less resource-intensive chemistries, specifically LMR batteries and sodium-ion cells, reveals a strategic divergence: while solid-state is pursued as the ultimate endpoint, incremental, pragmatic improvements in current lithium-ion systems are being aggressively pursued to bridge the immediate gap. This simultaneous pursuit of high-risk, high-reward technology (solid-state) and lower-risk, nearer-term engineering solutions (LMR/sodium) suggests a defensive posture against technological obsolescence rather than pure faith in one pathway. Furthermore, the geographic race between East Asian leaders and Western entities in piloting solid-state confirms that deployment speed is now intrinsically tied to geopolitical manufacturing capacity and regulatory alignment, moving beyond mere technological capability into the realm of industrial statecraft.
The implications touch upon agency: if mass production bottlenecks persist, specialized applications will lead the way, creating fragmented markets rather than a unified EV revolution based on this technology. The pursuit of alternative chemistries signals a necessary recognition that long-term viability depends not just on scientific leaps but on supply chain resilience and immediate energy density gains. What are the assumptions driving the prioritization of incremental progress over full realization of the most advanced potential? What incentives must align for industry to overcome the historical inertia toward large-scale manufacturing, even when the theoretical benefits are substantial?
Sentinel — Human
The text appears to be a professionally sourced journalistic report synthesizing recent statements from major industry players regarding the status of solid-state battery technology and alternative chemistries.