The MG4 will very soon be the first affordable electric car equipped with a semi-solid-state battery pack

For a long time we have been promised that solid-state batteries would be the next major evolutionary leap in the electric vehicle sector, offering greater range, faster charging, better performance in cold climates and a lower risk of fire thanks to their thermal stability.

However, as is usual with any new technology, their price is initially very high and they are only fitted to the top-of-the-range models, before their availability gradually extends to increasingly affordable models.

Well, that’s the theory, because the reality is that very soon Chinese drivers will be able to enjoy a vehicle at an affordable price equipped with a semi-solid battery pack, which is not exactly the same as what we will see in the future with solid-state batteries, but it comes quite close.

The British manufacturer MG Motor, now under the control of the Chinese state-owned giant SAIC Motor, has announced that its compact model, the MG4, will be available in the near future with a semi-solid battery pack. According to the country’s media, this will make it the first affordable electric vehicle in the world to use this technology, with an estimated selling price expected to fall between 80,000 and 120,000 yuan. That is, between just over 10,000 and 15,000 euros at the current exchange rate.

A new leap forward

Semi-solid battery packs use a gel-like electrolyte instead of a liquid one, thereby combining characteristics of traditional batteries and solid-state ones. According to experts, this type of battery could become a viable alternative to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries over the coming years.

The MG4’s battery, manufactured by QingTao Energy, has an energy density of about 180 Wh/kg, lower than the 272-296 Wh/kg of the 4680 cells from Tesla or the 375 Wh/kg of the semi-solid cells from the American startup Factorial. However, the goal of this battery does not seem to be competing on range, but rather making it accessible to the general public thanks to its low cost, in addition to offering better performance at low temperatures and being safer.

The perfect battery for a vehicle like this one

With a battery pack capacity of 70 kWh, the MG4 will offer a range of 537 km under the optimistic Chinese CLTC homologation cycle, which in real-world driving could come down to just over 400 km. More than enough for a compact vehicle with a truly competitive price. Even more so considering that, thanks to this technology, we can expect much faster charging in any weather conditions.

MG highlights that this battery maintains its performance at minus 7 degrees Celsius and has passed rigorous safety tests, including puncture tests.