‘A true game-changer’: Breakthrough solid-state battery tech from Mercedes-Benz leaves Chinese car makers MG, XPeng, BYD and GWM in its dust

Mercedes-Benz is flipping the electric car game on its head.

The German carmaker is forging ahead with game-changing solid-state batteries and appears to be at the head of the pack, leaving Chinese brands in its dust.

Benz has continued to trial its breakthrough battery tech in the real world, with its latest test showing a massive leap in capabilities.

In August this year, Mercedes-Benz completed a trip from Stuttgart in Germany to Malmo, Sweden without charging.

The trip covered 1205km and the prototype vehicle had 130km of range left when it reached its location.

Mercedes-Benz Chief Technology Officer Markus Schafer said he wants to have this tech in production vehicles before the end of the decade.

“The solid-state battery is a true game-changer for electric mobility. With the successful long-distance drive of the EQS, we show that this technology delivers not only in the lab but also on the road. Our goal is to bring innovations like this into series production by the end of the decade and offer our customers a new level of range and comfort,” said Schafer.

Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte to transfer energy compared to a liquid or gel used in conventional batteries.

This makes them more energy-dense, therefore smaller, and less prone to fire than current batteries. 

Many claim this new cell will be a silver bullet to mass EV adoption and will make electric sports cars, 4WDs and utes a practical reality.

Mercedes-Benz said the solid-state battery tech had been developed in close collaboration with the company’s Formula 1 technology centre and US company Factorial.

Mercedes-Benz said it managed to increase the usable energy of the battery by 25 per cent, while weight and size remained the same over a comparable cell used in its EQS electric car.

BMW has also been testing its version of solid-state batteries in the real world, after fitting them to an i7 prototype vehicle, but Mercedes-Benz seems to be further ahead with its real-world testing.

Chinese car brands have been very bullish on their plans to add the futuristic cells to their vehicles, with some claiming to expect them as early as 2026. No real-world tests have been revealed, though.

Japanese giants Toyota, Nissan and Honda also have grand plans for solid-state batteries, with most targeting 2027 or 2028 for the start of production.

Not all car brands are sold on the breakthrough tech.

Last year Audi battery development engineer Johannes Gehrmann told CarsGuide manufacturing solid-state batteries requires such precision that it’s unlikely they’re going to become the prevailing force in powering electric vehicles due to the cost involved, at least for the foreseeable future.

It’s not that Audi doesn’t believe in a future for solid-state batteries, Gehrmann said it makes more sense for high-end models at the moment.

Hyundai Group Head of Global Product Planning Spencer Cho told US publication Automotive News that the technology is more complex than many realise.

“I don’t think we can commercialise these batteries before 2030,” said Cho.

“There is a lot of uncertainty about the progress of solid-state batteries."