Gasgoo Munich- Solid-state batteries are the long-awaited holy grail for electric vehicle powertrains. Yet, the path from technical breakthrough to mass production is blocked by a formidable barrier: cost.
At 2026 Global Tech Conference, Gotion unveiled the latest technical strides and industrialization roadmap for its Gemstone all-solid-state battery. For the first time, the company offered a systematic answer to a core industry question: How can solid-state battery costs actually be brought down?
While most industry players remain fixated on cell-level engineering, Gotion has chosen a different tack: launching a cost offensive starting at the upstream raw material level.
Pan Ruijun, head of Gemstone R&D, said the battery is sprinting toward a cost target of 1 yuan per Wh. This push aims to usher in a "1-yuan era," accelerating the adoption of all-solid-state batteries that offer high safety, high energy density, and competitive affordability.
Technology Breakthrough: Higher Performance, Enhanced Safety
Gotion's 2024 release of the Gemstone technology sent ripples through the industry. The official unveiling of a pilot line in 2025 reignited market interest. Now, the Gemstone battery has taken another substantive leap in key performance metrics.
Image source: Gasgoo Auto on-site photo
According to Gasgoo Auto, the Gemstone battery's energy density has surged from the initially announced 300 Wh/kg to 420 Wh/kg. By comparison, mainstream liquid lithium batteries typically sit between 250 and 300 Wh/kg, while lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from leading manufacturers barely scrape 200 Wh/kg.
Even more significant is that the release of national standards has finally provided a benchmark for the industry's long-standing debate over what truly qualifies as a solid-state battery.
Gotion tested the Gemstone battery against these standards. The results showed a vacuum heating weight loss rate of just 0.01%—far below the national limit of 0.5%. "We are the solid-state battery among solid-state batteries," Pan declared.
Regarding safety, the Gemstone battery has passed rigorous tests such as nail penetration and thermal box challenges—achieving no smoking and no fire—thanks to optimizations in material systems, battery formulations, and cell structures.
In the early stages of industrialization, the ability to withstand extreme operating conditions directly influences automakers' confidence to buy. The Gemstone battery's performance in this area serves as a crucial "passport" to market entry.
Gasgoo has learned that construction of Gotion's 2 GWh mass production line for the Gemstone battery is proceeding steadily, and the company has already initiated vertical integration discussions with downstream customers and partners.
Moving from technical validation to production capacity, and from lab metrics to vehicle installation verification, the Gemstone battery is making a critical leap from a "showpiece" to a commercial "product."
The Crux of Cost Cutting: Starting with Lithium Sulfide
What actually makes solid-state batteries so expensive?
Gotion offers a revealing set of figures: 70% to 80% of a solid-state battery's cost comes from the solid electrolyte, and 70% to 80% of that electrolyte cost is driven by the key raw material, lithium sulfide. In other words, the cost of lithium sulfide will determine whether solid-state batteries can reach the mass market.
Gotion has directed its first wave of cost-cutting efforts at the preparation process for lithium sulfide.
Mainstream industry methods for producing lithium sulfide include carbothermal reduction, dry reactions between lithium metal and sulfur, and hydrazine hydrate solvent processes. While each has its merits, Gotion argues that existing processes struggle to simultaneously satisfy multiple demands: simplicity, high safety, low cost, superior quality, and environmental friendliness.
To address this, Gotion has developed an innovative preparation process dubbed the "gas-liquid-solid three-phase method."
Gotion has outlined a clear capacity roadmap for lithium sulfide and solid electrolyte: by 2026, it aims for 300 tons per year of lithium sulfide and 2,000 tons per year of solid electrolyte. By 2030, those capacities will leap to 50,000 tons and 100,000 tons per year, respectively.
As Gotion bluntly puts it: "Either don't do it, or go big." This all-in approach stands in stark contrast to the industry's traditional gradualist path of "sample, then pilot test, then discuss mass production."
After securing a foothold in the two critical material segments—lithium sulfide and solid electrolyte—Gotion has bridged the entire all-solid-state battery supply chain. It has formed a complete closed loop spanning "lithium mining—lithium salts—lithium sulfide—sulfide electrolytes—solid-state batteries—recycling."
Image source: Gasgoo Auto on-site photo
Looking back at the history of lithium-ion batteries, when they first commercialized in the early 1990s, a single cell cost several tens of yuan per Wh—nearly a hundred times today's price. By around 2020, cell costs had fallen to roughly 1 yuan per Wh. It was only after hitting this critical threshold that power battery capacity expanded rapidly, and applications surged from consumer electronics to electric vehicles and smart systems.
Based on this, Gotion has established a quantitative benchmark: when lithium sulfide drops to 500,000 yuan per ton and solid electrolyte to 300,000 yuan per ton, solid-state batteries will enter their own "1-yuan era." This will mark the true starting point for market explosion. Solid-state batteries will follow the path of lithium-ion batteries—but it won't take 30 years.
Conclusion:
The marathon for solid-state batteries is shifting from "can we make it?" to "can we sell it?" Mapping a clear and aggressive roadmap from "prohibitively expensive" to the "1-yuan era," Gotion is charting the course for industrialization. With reliable technology and controllable costs, the Gemstone battery is poised for a promising market. This high-stakes gamble on solid-state batteries is entering its most critical second half.
