Chinese EV start-up Nio to soon offer world’s longest range solid-state battery on rental basis
- The battery from Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology, which was first unveiled in January 2021, will only be rented to Nio car users, Nio president Qin Lihong says
- The 150kWh battery can power a car up to 1,100km on a single charge, and costs US$41,829 to produce
The battery, which was first unveiled in January 2021, will only be rented to Nio car users, and will be available soon, president Qin Lihong said at a media briefing on Thursday, without providing an exact date.
“The preparations for the 150 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack have been [going according to schedule],” he said. While Qin did not give details about the battery’s rental costs, he said Nio clients can expect it to be affordable.
The battery from Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology costs 300,000 yuan (US$41,829) to produce.
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Solid-state batteries are seen as a better option than existing products because the electricity from solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte is safer, more reliable and more efficient than the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in existing lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries.
The Beijing WeLion battery can be used to power all Nio models, from the ET7 luxury sedan to the ES8 sport-utility vehicle. An ET7 fitted with the 150kWh solid state battery can go as far as 1,100km on a single charge.