Summary: Chery is investing $1.25 billion in a solid-state battery production line in Wuhu, Anhui Province, targeting energy densities up to 500 Wh/kg by 2027. The project is ambitious, but no independent verification confirms the technology works at scale, and no vehicle has been confirmed to use these batteries yet.
BYD sold 4.6 million vehicles globally in 2025, while Tesla's deliveries slipped 9 percent to 1.64 million. Now another Chinese automaker wants to shake up the battery world. Chery is dropping $1.25 billion on a solid-state battery facility, and the claims are bold. But do they hold up?
Chery's Solid-State Battery Facility in Wuhu
Chery says it has a GWh-level all-solid-state battery production line under development in Wuhu, Anhui Province. The first phase covers 100,000 square meters and carries that hefty $1.25 billion price tag. The total site is designed for 5 GWh of capacity, which means Chery is thinking well beyond a pilot project.
Containers of equipment reportedly arrived at the factory site on November 18, according to Anhui Daily via CarNewsChina. The project is a joint effort between Anhui Anwa New Energy Co., Ltd. and the Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Zone. So this is not just Chery going solo. Local government backing is clearly involved.
The Energy Density Targets
Here is where Chery's pitch gets interesting. The first-generation solid-state batteries are expected to hit 280 Wh/kg energy density. For context, that is a meaningful jump over current lithium-ion cells, though not earth-shattering on its own.
The roadmap gets more aggressive from there. Chery claims a second generation at 400 Wh/kg, followed by a third generation targeting 500 Wh/kg expected in 2027. If Chery actually hits 500 Wh/kg, that could enable significantly longer ranges. But there is a big gap between a roadmap slide and batteries rolling off a production line.
Why the Skepticism Is Warranted
No independent source has verified any of these claims. Everything we know comes from company statements and state media reports. That is not unusual in the Chinese automotive space, but it does mean healthy skepticism is appropriate.
There is also no confirmation that any Chery vehicle currently uses these solid-state batteries. The company has not announced a production car equipped with the technology. Equipment deliveries to a factory site are a long way from commercial-scale manufacturing.
And those range claims floating around online? None of the available sources mention an 800-mile range for any Chery solid-state battery. That number appears to be speculative extrapolation from the 500 Wh/kg target, not something Chery has stated.
The Bigger Picture in China's EV Market
Chery's bet makes more sense when you look at the broader competitive landscape. At the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, BYD, Chery, and Geely all displayed plug-in hybrids with 1,250 miles of range. Proper EVs were available for under $7,500. The show also featured what was billed as the world's first production-ready long-range solid-state energy pack, developed and made in China, due to come onstream the following year at the latest.
In that environment, a solid-state battery breakthrough would be a genuine differentiator. The question is whether Chery can deliver on the timeline.
Solid-state batteries remain one of the most hyped and least proven technologies in the EV space. Chery has put real money on the table, and the energy density targets are genuinely ambitious if achievable. But until we see independently tested cells in actual vehicles, this remains a promise, not a product. What would it take for you to trust a new battery technology over proven lithium-ion?
Comments