Auto Guangzhou is set to welcome the MG4 Anxin Edition – touted as one of the first mass-produced semi-solid state battery EVs – on November 21, reports CarNewsChina.
The car itself is expected to largely be the same as the second gen (the new jellybean, not the sharper first gen that’s still on sale in Malaysia), so let’s talk about the new battery – it’s a manganese-based lithium-ion pack jointly developed by SAIC and Qingtao Energy.
Curiously, according to CNC, it has the same capacity and range as the bigger LFP battery already offered in the MG4 (53.95 kWh, 530 km CLTC range), and worse, it’s heavier, increasing the kerb weight by 15 kg to result in 1.5 tonnes. This has us scratching our heads a bit.
Solid-state batteries (which use a solid block made of either polymer, oxides or sulfides instead of a liquid electrolyte to shuttle charge-carrying ions between the anode and cathode), widely tipped to be the next big thing for EVs (or perhaps you’re a sodium-ion supporter), are supposed to be lighter, safer, more thermally-stable, more energy-dense and capable of charging faster.
Of course, in the MG4 Anxin Edition’s case, we’re talking about a semi-solid state battery, which uses both solid (typically >90%) and liquid electrolyte components (some battery makers are exploring gel-like electrolytes as well). But if the pack used is heavier, holds the same amount of kWh and doesn’t offer more range than the existing LFP, is better safety its only redeeming quality?
Nevertheless, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and we await Auto Guangzhou for more details on the MG4 Anxin Edition and its semi-solid state battery. Others exploring solid-state batteries include Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Nio, Hyundai and VinFast.
2025 second-gen MG4 EV
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