Solid State Batteries in 2026: From Hype to Adoption

 

The solid-state battery (SSB) industry is transforming, driven by advanced technologies and rising demand across applications. Offering breakthroughs in safety and energy density, SSBs could reach a $10 billion market by 2036. The IDTechEx report "Solid-State Batteries 2026-2036: Technology, Forecasts, Players" provides a comprehensive analysis of this dynamic industry, exploring the interplay between cutting-edge technologies, market trends, manufacturing challenges, and the global ecosystem surrounding solid-state batteries.

 

 

SSBs moved decisively from lab pilots to public road proofs in 2025: a lightly modified Mercedes‑Benz EQS with Factorial's lithium‑metal cells drove 1,205 km from Stuttgart to Malmö on a single charge, underscoring real‑world viability and a path to series production later this decade. QuantumScape and Volkswagen's PowerCo publicly showcased solid‑state cells powering a Ducati motorcycle at IAA Mobility and highlighted integration of the high‑throughput Cobra separator process to accelerate manufacturing scale‑up. BMW began on‑road testing of Solid Power's sulfide all‑solid‑state packs in an i7, marking a visible OEM‑level integration milestone for highway‑drivable prototypes.

 

 

Asia's pace stayed brisk as SK On pulled forward its ASSB commercialization timeline to 2029 and Farasis Energy said a 0.2 GWh pilot will deliver small‑batch all‑solid‑state EV batteries by late 2025. CATL initiated trial production and validation of 20 Ah solid‑state cells, guiding toward small‑series output before broader ramp‑up later in the decade.

 

Europe firmed factory roadmaps as ProLogium secured environmental and construction permits for its Dunkirk gigafactory and outlined a European mass‑production plan and global collaboration roadmap.

 

Japan's ecosystem advanced too, with Panasonic announcing all‑solid‑state button‑type cells for industrial uses and Nissan showcasing construction progress on its Yokohama pilot line toward early‑2029 EV launches.

 

Together, public road tests, pilot deliveries, and permitted factories across the U.S., Europe, and Asia indicate a transition from R&D to early deployment, with initial deliveries expected in 2025 and broader automotive integration targeted for the latter half of the decade.

 

 

 

By replacing the flammable organic liquid electrolyte with solid-state electrolyte (SSE), SSBs enable improved safety and abuse tolerance. The SSE can also be paired with silicon& lithium metal anode, anodeless design, and high-voltage cathode, leading to potentially higher energy density. The special features of SSBs make them possible to be connected in series and in parallel within a cell, resulting in flexible packing designs. In addition, the innovative pack design enables higher assembly efficiency, helping further increase the energy density and decreasing cost at system level.

 

 

 

Because of their unique value propositions, SSBs are now actively pursued by academic researchers, battery developers, automotive OEMs, investors, and upstream material and component suppliers. In addition to that, while conventional Li‑ion manufacturing has long been centered in East Asia, most notably Japan, China, and South Korea; a clear shift is underway as the United States and multiple European nations compete to capture more added value closer to the application markets through local manufacturing footprints.

 

 

At the same time, the ever‑increasing uncertainty of geo‑political issues and trade wars is elevating localization and supply‑chain resilience to board‑level priorities, making SSB programs a strategic lever to anchor domestic ecosystems and reduce exposure to cross‑border disruptions. This evolving landscape is marked by rapid exploration of new materials and components, together with a reevaluation of manufacturing processes and factory designs; these provide a potential to reshuffle the battery supply chain.

 

From both a technological and business perspective, the development of SSBs has emerged as a core element of next‑generation battery strategy. It has evolved into a truly global endeavor characterized by strong regional interests and substantial governmental support, with opportunities spanning new materials, components, systems, manufacturing methods, and production know‑how.

 

 

Presently, there are polymer‑based SSBs already on the road, such as Blue Solutions' Li‑metal polymer packs deployed in the Bluebus 12‑meter city buses in Europe, the Bluecar car‑sharing fleets, and Daimler eCitaro, which illustrate durable, field‑proven polymer implementations.

 

 

Semi/hybrid/pseudo SSBs are moving from pilot phases into limited‑series commercialization in China, led by passenger‑car deployments, for example, NIO's 150‑kWh semi‑solid pack entering service via the battery‑swap network and SAIC's MG4 variant, alongside early signs in commercial vehicles such as a semi‑solid battery truck unveiled by Forland. This is an observable trend: semi‑solid can immediately improve safety and sometimes energy density or temperature robustness, while leveraging much of today's manufacturing know‑how, so it is not a bad choice even if they are not strictly "all‑solid"; from the end users' point of view, which batteries do not matter, the performance and price do.

 

The pace in China also indicates that local makers are driving costs down through supply‑chain localization, process adaptation, and scale, which is important for new technologies to sustain commercial value. Meanwhile, the domain of ceramic‑based all‑solid‑state batteries (ASSBs) remains firmly in developmental pursuits, but momentum is evident: more players are announcing trial cells, A/B‑sample programs, and pilot‑line milestones across sulfide and oxide families.

 

Most of the commercialized SSBs and those close to market are hybrid semi‑solid batteries, meaning they may contain small amounts of liquid or gel; strictly speaking, they are not ASSBs. While from the end users' point of view, they do not care what technology to deploy as long as the batteries deliver the features required, semi‑solid technologies can act as a practical bridge between already‑commercialized polymer‑based SSBs and future sulfide‑based ASSBs. As technologies become more mature on materials, interfaces, and manufacturing, the path to ASSBs can be approached more seamlessly, with semi‑solid deployments building market confidence, reducing cost, and de‑risking scale‑up along the way.

 

 

 

Automotive remains the largest potential market for solid‑state batteries, and it continues to attract most of the development roadmaps, strategic partnerships, and investment commitments across the value chain. In the meantime, deployment efforts are expanding into small‑capacity applications that prioritize temperature tolerance and safety, such as industrial IoT and medical devices, along with drones, eVTOL, and robotics.

 

Chip‑scale and micro solid‑state batteries are already commercial or entering production for industrial IoT and medical devices, offering inherent non‑flammability and wide operating ranges, which suits sensors, wearables, and embedded modules that see environmental extremes. In robotics, industrial adopters are integrating solid‑state batteries into robots. In parallel, markets are evaluating solid‑state architectures for eVTOL and electric aviation due to safety, pack‑level integration, and specific‑energy potential.

 

Stepping back, this creates a pragmatic two‑track pathway: automotive remains the primary long‑term prize for large‑format SSBs, while near‑term adoption concentrates in smaller, higher‑value niches that reward abuse tolerance, broad temperature operation, and compact packaging, illustrating why these niches can be lower‑hanging fruit before large‑format EV packs.

 

 

 

The transition from laboratory-scale development to commercial-scale production in battery technology has shifted the focus from individual cell development to system-level integration. This includes optimizing not just the performance of individual cells but also ensuring their seamless incorporation into battery packs and systems. System-level considerations, such as the design and functionality of Battery Management Systems (BMS), structure design to ensure mechanical optimization, are now critical to enhancing overall safety, efficiency, and reliability. By prioritizing system-level optimization, manufacturers aim to deliver solutions that meet the complex demands of large-scale applications like electric vehicles and grid storage.

 

Another key focus area is addressing the challenges of cost reduction and scalability as production expands. Efforts are being made to streamline manufacturing processes and develop scalable designs that maintain performance while reducing costs.

 

Additionally, factors such as cell pressure management, which directly impacts battery longevity and safety, are receiving increased attention. These advancements reflect the industry's commitment to overcoming technical and economic barriers while enabling the widespread adoption of advanced battery technologies.

 

The IDTechEx report provides an in-depth analysis of the solid-state battery market from 2026 to 2036. For more technology benchmarking, market landscape, player activities, opportunities and challenges, please refer to IDTechEx report "Solid-State Batteries 2026-2036: Technology, Forecasts, Players".

 

 

For more information on this report, including downloadable sample pages, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/SSB, or for the full portfolio of energy storage research available from IDTechEx, see www.IDTechEx.com/Research/ES.