China discovers breakthrough EV battery with 1,000+ km range
Chinese scientists have developed a new EV battery capable of delivering over 1,000 km (620 miles) of driving range with an energy density above 700 Wh/kg.
China develops new ultra-high-energy-density EV battery
China is already dominating global electric vehicle battery sales, with CATL and BYD accounting for over 55% of the market alone last year.
To promote safer, more efficient, higher-energy-density batteries, Chinese scientists, automakers, and battery manufacturers are teaming up to pool their resources.
The efforts are paying off, with another “breakthrough” EV battery announced on Thursday. A research paper was published in the science journal Nature detailing the latest development.
According to Chen Jun, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who led the battery development, the team created a new electrolyte system that replaces oxygen atoms with fluorine ones. Lab tests revealed that the battery could achieve an energy density exceeding 700 Wh/kg.
In extremely cold temperatures as low as -50°C (-58°F), the battery maintained an energy density of nearly 400 Wh/kg.
Chinese scientists have developed a lithium metal battery that achieved energy densities greater than 700 Wh kg−1 at room temperature and about 400 Wh kg−1 at −50 °C, marking a significant advancement in the production of high-energy batteries for electric vehicles.
The… pic.twitter.com/esvDufmrzT— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) February 27, 2026
Chen explained that energy density and cold-weather performance are two of the biggest hurdles to widespread EV adoption.
By using fluorinated hydrocarbon solvent molecules and a lithium-fluorine system, the team improved ion conductivity and stability at ultra-high energy densities.
The new high-energy-density batteries “have vast potential in new energy vehicles,” Chen said, adding that they can be used in intelligent robots, polar regions, aerospace, and aviation.
The breakthrough is the latest in a recent string of promising battery developments in China. Earlier this month, Chen’s team, in collaboration with FAW Group’s Hongqi brand, installed the “industry’s first” lithium-rich manganese solid-liquid EV battery in a vehicle.
The ultra-high-energy-density battery, developed by Chen’s team and FAW’s battery unit, China Automotive New Energy Battery Technology Co Ltd, boasts an energy density of 500 Wh/kg and can deliver a CLTC driving range of over 1,000 km (620 miles).
Lu Tianjun, GM of China Automotive New Energy Battery Technology Co, said electric vehicles equipped with the new batteries can exceed 1,000 km (620 miles) range on a single charge and are expected to go into mass production by the end of 2026.
“Conservatively, its performance would mean an improvement of about 50 percent compared with current technologies,” Lu said.
Source: China Daily
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