On March 18, the Chairman of Chery Automobile stated that Chery's solid-state battery pilot production line has developed cells with different energy density levels and is currently conducting extensive rigorous testing. Chery's future investment in all-solid-state batteries will have no upper limit. It is reported that Chery's Rhino Battery S series includes a 60Ah, 400Wh/kg solid-state battery utilizing a sulfide-based solid electrolyte system and high-nickel ternary cathode materials; and a 600Wh/kg solid-state battery using an in-situ polymerization solid electrolyte system and lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials, achieving a range of over 1500+ km.

According to Gu Chunshan, Vice President of Chery Automobile, as the countdown to mass production and popularization begins, all-solid-state batteries have become the focus of attention for both the industry and users, and Chery will place no upper limit on its future investment in all-solid-state batteries. It is reported that Chery's Rhino Battery S Series 60Ah, 400Wh/kg solid-state battery uses a sulphide-based solid electrolyte system and high-nickel ternary cathode material; the 600Wh/kg solid-state battery uses an in-situ polymerization solid electrolyte system and lithium-rich manganese cathode material, with a driving range of over 1,500 km, and the company aims to carry out vehicle validation by 2027.

This week (March 13, 2026–March 19, 2026), multiple enterprises in the solid-state battery sector were active: Dali Times commenced construction of a 2 GWh specialized semi-solid-state battery base; EVE’s Longquan Phase III/IV all-solid-state batteries rolled off the line in Chengdu; Chery released its 600 Wh/kg Rhino all-solid-state battery technology。

By late March, the consumption driven by dealers' customary post-holiday restocking in the lead-acid battery market had been largely released. Meanwhile, end-use consumption in the e-bike and automotive battery markets was generally mediocre, especially as the impact of the new national standard for e-bikes disrupted supporting orders for new vehicles, and some lead-acid battery enterprises only maintained production based on sales. Lead prices fell this week. In the initial stage, downstream enterprises restocked at lower prices based on demand, but after lead prices fell again in the second half of the week, some enterprises became more cautious in procuring raw lead materials.

Leveraging its comprehensive material portfolio and technological advantages, Ronbay Technology had become a key support for the solid-state battery industry chain. The company's high-nickel and ultra-high-nickel all-solid-state cathodes had achieved shipments at the 10-mt level, with products covering leading battery makers and OEMs in and outside China. Client-side evaluations showed they could meet the requirements of 400 Wh/kg battery cells.

On the evening of March 18, 2026, at Chery Automobile Battery Night 2026 in Wuhu, Anhui, Chery unveiled its Rhino all-solid-state battery technology. It had completed the development and pilot production of a 60Ah, 400Wh/kg all-solid-state battery cell and was advancing toward an ultra-high energy density of 600Wh/kg.

In 2026, the correction in lithium carbonate prices drove up lithium battery production costs. Coupled with uncertainties in lithium resources supply, cost pressure across the new energy industry became increasingly prominent. Leveraging the advantages of abundant sodium resources, balanced distribution, and controllable costs, sodium-ion batteries have leapt from being a “backup option” for lithium batteries to a key direction for industry breakthrough...

It was learned that the SMM weekly composite operating rate of lead-acid battery enterprises in five provinces was 73.92% from March 13 to March 19, 2026, up 0.46 percentage points WoW from the previous week. Recently, production at lead-acid battery enterprises remained relatively stable. Apart from slight production adjustments at a small number of enterprises, changes in production at other enterprises were relatively small. Over the past two years, as AI development accelerated, battery demand from data centers improved. In particular, lead-acid battery enterprises that secured tender orders had full order books, with production lines operating at full capacity. In addition, for civilian battery products, end-use consumption in the e-bike and automotive battery markets showed mediocre performance. Considering that from April to May is the traditional consumption off-season, some enterprises with average order intake only maintained operating rates at 70-80%, and needed to adjust production based on subsequent order conditions.

SMM News, March 20: Lead prices weakened this week, and secondary lead smelters lowered scrap battery purchase prices due to profit pressure. Today, the average scrap battery purchase prices at smelters were: waste e-bike battery at 9,825 yuan/mt, waste automotive lead-acid battery (white shell) at 9,875 yuan/mt, and waste automotive starter lead-acid battery (black shell) at 10,125 yuan/mt. Recyclers also followed the decline, and after prices were cut, downstream collection outlets held back cargoes, with recycling volume decreasing WoW. Smelter inventory diverged, with low-inventory smelters holding only enough for one week of production, while high-inventory smelters made limited just-in-time procurement after small price cuts. According to the SMM survey, market expectations for lead prices were weak, and if prices continue to weaken next week, scrap battery prices are expected to be lowered again. This week, the mainstream self pick-up price at major ports for imported crude lead was at a discount of 50-0 yuan/mt against the SMM #1 lead average price, while some cargoes were at a premium of 50 yuan/mt. Domestic secondary crude lead cargoes were quoted firmly due to insufficient operating rates caused by cost pressure. As of this Friday, the mainstream tax-excluded ex-factory prices stood near 15,200 yuan/mt. Going into next week, imported lead is still expected to arrive at ports one after another, and downstream enterprises have been active in making inquiries. SMM expects domestic secondary crude lead supply to remain tight. » Subscribe to View Historical SMM Metal Spot Prices

Recently, BYD's power battery project (Xixian base) entered trial production. The base has annual capacity of up to 16 Gwh, enough to support about 700,000 NEVs. After commencing production, its annual output value will reach 8 billion yuan, enabling fully independent production across the entire process. [SMM Flash News] Material and Process Iteration! Two All-Solid-State Batteries of EVE Rolled Off the Line in Chengdu, Sichuan. EVE's "Longquan No. 3" mainly targeted the consumer sector and could operate below 2 MPa, featuring high volumetric energy density; the "Longquan No. 4" all-solid-state battery mainly targeted the power sector, with capacity increased to 60 Ah, and could currently cycle under pressure of ≤5 MPa, initially demonstrating practical application potential.