^{Photo: South China Morning Post}

The race to revolutionize electric vehicle batteries may be moving far slower than many investors and automakers had hoped. According to Lotus CEO Qingfeng Feng, solid-state batteries — widely viewed as the future of electric mobility — could still be as much as a decade away from large-scale commercial production.

Speaking during the Financial Times’ Future of the Car summit in London, Feng pushed back against the growing industry narrative that solid-state battery breakthroughs are imminent. While many automotive companies continue promising next-generation EV batteries before the end of the decade, Feng said the technology still faces significant unresolved engineering and scalability challenges.

His comments highlight the widening gap between investor expectations and the practical realities of battery manufacturing as the global electric vehicle market enters a more competitive and financially demanding phase.

The Technology Touted as the “Holy Grail” of EVs

Solid-state batteries have long been promoted as one of the most transformative innovations in the automotive industry. Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, which rely on liquid electrolytes, solid-state batteries use solid materials such as ceramics or advanced polymers to transfer energy.

The technology is considered highly attractive because it could potentially deliver several major advantages over current EV batteries, including:

• Higher energy density
• Longer driving range
• Faster charging speeds
• Improved safety
• Lower fire risk
• Reduced battery weight
• Better long-term efficiency

Some researchers believe future solid-state battery systems could increase EV range by 30% to 50% compared with today’s lithium-ion technology while dramatically reducing charging times.

These promises have made solid-state batteries a central focus for automakers, battery startups, and governments investing billions into the future of sustainable transportation.

However, despite years of research and aggressive development timelines, true commercial-scale production remains elusive.

Lotus and Geely Continue Research Efforts

Feng emphasized that Geely — the Chinese automotive giant that owns Lotus — remains heavily invested in battery research and development.

Geely has expanded its focus on solid-state battery technologies in recent years and recently established a dedicated R&D center aimed specifically at advancing next-generation battery systems.

The company has become one of the world’s most influential automotive groups through investments across multiple brands, including Volvo Cars, Polestar, Mercedes-Benz, and Aston Martin.

Feng himself previously served as chief technology officer at Geely before taking leadership at Lotus.

While acknowledging that progress is being made, Feng said there are still too many unresolved issues for the technology to be commercially viable at scale anytime soon.

In his view, achieving reliable mass production could take anywhere from three to five years at the absolute minimum — and potentially closer to a decade.

Why Automakers Are Struggling With Commercialization

The core challenge surrounding solid-state batteries is not simply creating a working prototype. Many companies have already demonstrated experimental cells in laboratories and limited testing environments.

The much harder task is producing batteries consistently, safely, affordably, and at industrial scale.

Feng noted that while some safety concerns have improved significantly, the industry continues facing a difficult tradeoff between discharge performance and battery longevity.

According to him, increasing the battery’s discharge rate — which improves power delivery and performance — tends to reduce overall battery life. Meanwhile, extending battery lifespan can negatively affect discharge performance and efficiency.

This balancing problem remains one of the largest technical barriers preventing large-scale commercialization.

Manufacturers are also struggling with additional issues including:

• Cell degradation after repeated charging cycles
• Material expansion and swelling during charging
• Manufacturing complexity
• High production costs
• Difficulties scaling production lines
• Temperature sensitivity
• Limited supply chain readiness

These obstacles have forced many automakers to slow down earlier commercialization targets.

Industry Hype Faces Growing Skepticism

Over the past several years, multiple global automakers and battery producers have announced ambitious timelines for bringing solid-state batteries to market.

Companies across Japan, China, South Korea, Europe, and the United States have invested tens of billions of dollars into battery innovation programs. Some industry forecasts previously predicted commercial deployment before 2030.

However, skepticism within the industry has steadily grown as production challenges persist.

Analysts increasingly believe that widespread adoption may arrive much later than originally expected, particularly for mass-market electric vehicles where affordability and manufacturing efficiency are critical.

Several automakers are now focusing more heavily on semi-solid-state batteries instead of fully solid-state systems.

Semi-solid-state batteries combine liquid and solid electrolytes in a hybrid structure, allowing manufacturers to improve energy density gradually without facing the full complexity of pure solid-state designs.

This intermediate approach is viewed by many industry experts as a more realistic near-term solution while fully solid-state systems continue developing.

EV Industry Under Pressure to Deliver Breakthroughs

The timing of these challenges is significant for the broader electric vehicle market.

Global EV adoption continues rising, but the industry is facing increasing pressure from slowing sales growth, intense price competition, and concerns about charging infrastructure and battery costs.

Consumers continue demanding longer driving ranges and faster charging times — two areas where solid-state technology could eventually provide major advantages.

Battery performance also remains one of the biggest competitive battlegrounds among automakers, especially in premium and high-performance EV segments where brands like Lotus operate.

At the same time, governments worldwide are tightening emissions regulations and accelerating the transition away from internal combustion engines, putting additional pressure on manufacturers to innovate quickly.

Yet Feng’s comments suggest the industry may need to remain patient.

The Road Ahead for Solid-State Batteries

Although the technology still holds enormous long-term promise, many experts now believe the road to commercialization will likely happen in stages rather than through one sudden breakthrough.

The next decade may involve gradual improvements in battery chemistry, hybrid battery designs, manufacturing processes, and charging efficiency before fully solid-state systems become commercially mainstream.

For now, lithium-ion batteries remain the dominant technology powering the global EV revolution, with continuous improvements still being made in cost reduction, charging speed, and energy density.

Solid-state batteries may eventually reshape the future of electric mobility, but according to Lotus CEO Qingfeng Feng, the automotive industry is still much earlier in that journey than many headlines suggest.