First MG EV with solid state battery to debut next year

MG’s sister-brand IM Motors already has the L6 sedan with a solid state battery.

Published On Sep 10, 2024 08:00:00 AM

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MG 4 electric crossover used for representation only.

MG will begin to equip electric cars with solid-state batteries within the next 12 months, an official from its parent company, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), has confirmed.

MG EV with solid state battery to debut by second half of 2025
MG pulls forward solid state battery timeline by more than 12 months

Speaking at the Chengdu motor show in China, Yu Jingmin, executive vice president of SAIC’s passenger vehicle operations, revealed to Autocar UK, that new solid-state battery technology developed by the company and set to be shared with other SAIC brands will soon be launched in an MG model, likely in the second quarter of 2025, although he did not reveal the identity of the model.

MG had earlier announced the use of solid state batteries but the new timeline seems to have been advanced by more than 12 months. It also places MG ahead of its mainstream market rivals, including Volkswagen, in the planned adoption of solid-state battery technology in volume models.

SAIC’s IM motors EV brand already has the L6 electric sedan with first-gen solid state batteries that have been jointly developed by SAIC and Chinese battery specialist Jiangsu Qingtao. It is claimed to offer a more than double the energy density – at 368 watts per kilogram – compared with its existing lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery. With a capacity of 133kWh, it provides the L6 sedan with an official range of more than 1080km on China's Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC).

No details of MG's first solid-state battery have been revealed yet but indications are it will have the same 5 percent liquid mass proportion as the battery used by IM Motor and operate on an 800V electric architecture.

The move to equip MG models with solid-state batteries indicates SAIC is planning a steep production ramp-up of the new technology, in a bid to reap important economies of scale across its various brands. Previously, the company said it expects solid-state batteries to offer cost savings of up to 30 percent over LFP batteries in the longer term.

MG motor India: what’s next?

While the solid state battery-equipped EV from MG for India may still be some time away, the brand will launch the Windsor EV in India on September 11. We have driven the Windsor exclusively in Indonesia. Watch our video review here.

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