China Thinks It's Got a Hot New EV Battery With Huge Range

China says it may have cracked one of the biggest barriers to wider EV adoption: range. Researchers at Nankai University in Tianjin report they've built and road-tested what they call the world's first semi-solid-state battery pack capable of powering an electric car for more than 620 miles on a single charge, reports Live Science. The prototype, reportedly installed in a vehicle developed with China FAW Group's battery arm, uses a high-energy design that tops 500 watt-hours per kilogram at the cell level—about 30% higher than today's best lithium-ion batteries.

The system combines a lithium-rich manganese cathode with a hybrid solid-liquid "super-wetting" electrolyte that's meant to boost safety and ion flow while cutting manufacturing costs. At the full pack level—where cooling, wiring, and safety hardware are included—it delivers 142 kilowatt-hours and 288 Wh/kg, with developers targeting more than 340 Wh/kg and 200 kWh in future versions, enough for a projected 1,000-mile range. The claims have not yet been confirmed in peer-reviewed research, but they underscore how solid and semi-solid-state batteries are moving out of the lab and into real-world trials, potentially reshaping how far—and how safely—EVs can drive. EV Infrastructure News notes that such batteries can safely operate at temperature above 170 degrees, allowing for faster charging.