Automakers are eyeing solid-state batteries to reach the sought-after target of a 1,000 kilometre (621 mile) range electric vehicle. Beijing-based WeLion, a battery supplier to Chinese electric vehicle producer Nio, said last month that its first semi-solid-state batteries had rolled off the line at its production facility in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. Nio says its ET7 […]
> Canada is a key target for automakers looking to secure battery raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel for the North American market. This week Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz signed agreements with the government of prime minister Justin Trudeau, announcing their intention to source and produce battery materials in the country. The high-level visit highlights […]
> The future of how markets evolve is largely dependent on research and development (R&D). It drives innovation, competitiveness, and long-term growth. Within the automotive market, the role of R&D has gained increasing importance in recent years as the industry electrifies. When looking at the data of how much automakers invest in R&D there are large […]
> This year is set to see solid-state battery production exceed two gigawatt-hours for the first time, according to Benchmark’s Solid-state Forecast. A solid-state battery replaces the liquid electrolyte used in traditional lithium ion batteries with a solid-state separator. The composition of this can be broadly divided into polymers, oxide-, and sulfide-based solid electrolytes. This year, […]
> The next-generation battery landscape has progressed from start-up to scale-up, with more than 250GWh of pipeline capacity expected to be installed by the end of 2025 across a variety of emerging technologies, according to Benchmark’s New Technology Service. China has a dominant position in the two most developed of these technologies: sodium ion and solid-state. […]
> In January 2025, Chinese solid-state producer WeLion signed a long term supply agreement to source 80% of its membrane and electrolyte needs from Semcorp. The agreement specifies a minimum order quantity of 300 million square metres of membranes and 100 tonnes of solid electrolyte from the Chinese separator giant over the next six years, equivalent […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, specialising in battery supply chain research and insights, reports that 12.7GWh of new operational capacity entered operation in October 2025. Operational Capacity The grid-scale BESS market saw 12.7GWh of new capacity enter operations globally in October 2025, a y-o-y increase of 29%. China led new operational capacity with just under 8.8GWh of […]
> Benchmark has tracked over $50 billion of energy transition funding, throughout 2025 in its Energy Transition Capital database, with the largest share allocated to the battery supply chain. The role of debt, grants, and equity Debt The EV, battery, and battery materials markets have matured rapidly over the past few years. As a result, debt is playing an increasingly […]
> Since the launch of the first oxide-based semi-solid-state electric vehicles (EVs) by NIO and IM Motors in the second half of 2024, commercial targets across the solid-state battery industry have accelerated markedly with attention shifting from cell-level innovation to developments of functional packs and demonstration vehicles. Where to date the industry has been driven through […]