On November 7, Talent New Energy and Changan Automobile held a joint conference on diaphragm-free solid-state lithium battery technology in Chongqing. At the conference, it was announced that the diaphragm-free solid-state lithium battery technology, which was jointly launched by the two sides, has been evaluated and appraised by the China Light Industry Federation as reaching the "international advanced" level.

According to Talent New Energy, the company's non-diaphragm solid-state battery technology is the first in the industry to achieve the "abolition of the diaphragm" technological breakthrough. This involves reducing the battery diaphragm and using the pole piece of a composite solid electrolyte layer to perform the functions of the diaphragm.

This solid electrolyte layer effectively inhibits thermal runaway induced by high temperature, mechanical force, lithium dendrites, and other factors, thus significantly enhancing the battery's safety profile. Furthermore, the diaphragm-less solid-state battery can be compatible with a variety of high-gram-capacity positive and negative materials that are currently on the market.

In terms of production cost control, Talent New Energy anticipates that the raw material cost of its diaphragm-less technology can be reduced by more than 10% due to the reduced reliance on traditional diaphragm materials and the reduction of part of the electrolyte.

Du Changhong, head of Changan Automobile's Advanced Battery Research Institute, stated that diaphragm-less solid-state battery technology is the most representative technology result of the current joint research between Changan Automobile and Talent New Energy. This technology is also a key component of Changan's "Golden Bell" battery, which will be used in Changan Automobile's mass-produced vehicles and will drive the company's advancement towards becoming a world-class automobile enterprise.

Gao Xiang, Chairman and CTO of Talent New Energy, outlines Talent's "4-3-2-1" technology roadmap.

The "4-3-2-1" route, as it is commonly known, specifically refers to the removal of the four main materials found in traditional liquid lithium-ion batteries. The first step in this process is the removal of the diaphragm and a portion of the electrolyte. This marks the initial phase of Talent New Energy's mass production and vehicle loading of its semi-solid state battery product. The second step is to reduce the electrolyte completely. This is the stage of full-solid-state products that Talent New Energy will initially apply in some specialized fields, such as low-altitude economy. The third step is to reduce the negative electrode, leaving only the active material that directly generates energy. This is the future stage of Talent New Energy's negative electrode-free all-solid-state products.

However, there are still significant hurdles to overcome in terms of cost and process before all-solid-state batteries can be produced on a large scale. Currently, the majority of leading battery manufacturers have indicated that the mass production of all-solid-state batteries is likely to commence between 2027 and 2030.

In contrast, the application of semi-solid state batteries is more promising. Semi-solid-state batteries can be used with over 90% of the original liquid lithium battery production equipment, and in terms of battery performance, they can achieve a notable increase in energy density and safety.

The plan is to achieve the following milestones by the indicated dates: 2024 – production of a square aluminum shell battery sample; 2025 – mass production of a sample package; 2026 – vehicle verification. The plan is to develop a prototype verification system for diaphragm-free all-solid-state batteries in 2025, followed by volume production and continuous verification in 2026. The goal is to achieve mass production of all-solid-state batteries by 2027.