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NIO's 150-kWh Solid-State Battery Pack Will Actually Be a Semi-SSB Pack

When NIO announced the ET7 would have a 150 kWh battery pack with solid-state cells in 2022, nobody bought that right away. Reactions ranged from cautiously waiting to plain denial that this would be possible. With the information of new investments on Solid State Lion, we learned more about that battery pack: it will actually be semi-SSB (solid-state battery).
NIO's 150 kWh swappable battery pack for the ET7 11 photos
Photo: NIO
NIO's 150 kWh Swappable Battery Pack for the ET7NIO's 150 kWh Swappable Battery Pack for the ET7NIO's 150 kWh Swappable Battery Pack for the ET7NIO's 150 kWh Swappable Battery Pack for the ET7NIO ET7 Has a 0.208 Aerodynamic Drag CoefficientNIO ET7 Has a 0.208 Aerodynamic Drag CoefficientNIO ET7 Has a 0.208 Aerodynamic Drag CoefficientNIO ET7 Has a 0.208 Aerodynamic Drag CoefficientNIO ET7 Has a 0.208 Aerodynamic Drag CoefficientNIO ET7 Has a 0.208 Aerodynamic Drag Coefficient
NIO’s CEO, William Li, said the best description for these new cells was this one we mentioned shortly after promising the 150 kWh battery pack at NIO Day. Although it looks massive, the battery pack will not be larger than those already used by the company in its swapping system. If it were, it would not fit cars other than the ET7, which does not make sense for NIO’s strategy.

According to what Li said at the time, this semi-SSB would comprise “in-situ solidified solid-liquid electrolyte, inorganic pre-lithiated carbon-silicon anode, and nano-scale ultra-high nickel cathode.” The NIO CEO also said that it would have an energy density of 360 Wh/kg. We’ll probably have more details about this solid-liquid electrolyte when NIO starts using the new cell by Q4 2022.

Solid State Lion is the company that would supply these semi-SSBs to NIO. The Chinese EV maker is directly involved with the battery startup. As CNEVPost points out, Zeng Shuxiang is a director of Solid State Lion. He also happens to be the CEO of XPT, NIO's electric drive division.

Thanks to NIO’s trust in its tech, Huawei and Xiaomi have also invested in Solid State Lion, aka WeLion. The technology could be useful both to their mobile phones and to their new ventures with electric cars.

What made things a little less clear was a recent announcement from Gotion (Guoxua) High-Tech that it would supply semi-SSBs to a luxury manufacturer. They would be used in a new car able to run more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) on a single full charge. The description fits the NIO ET7 perfectly.

Either Gotion or Solid State Lion will supply these cells to NIO, or they have reached an agreement for Gotion to produce the cells conceived by Solid State Lion. As a startup, it may lack the manufacturing capacity necessary to supply a carmaker. Whoever will deliver this to NIO – and if it really does – that should be the best cell for EVs until authentic solid-state batteries arrive somewhere between 2024 and 2025.
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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
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Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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