Amid the accelerating transformation of the global new energy industry, breakthroughs in battery technology have become the key factor determining the future trajectory of the industry. Recently, the U.S. startup Ion Storage Systems (ION) made a major move in the field of solid-state batteries, which has caused a significant stir in the industry. Its innovative solid-state battery technology is not only expected to redefine the performance standards for power batteries but could also reshape the competitive landscape of the global energy industry.
Revolutionary Technological Breakthrough: Negative Electrode-Free Ceramic Solid-State Battery
The solid-state battery technology developed by Ion Storage Systems (ION) can be considered an industry innovator. The company has created a negative-electrode-free, non-compressed ceramic solid-state battery, using a unique 3D ceramic structure with LLZO (Lithium Lanthanum Zirconium Oxide) electrolyte as the core, which has significantly improved the battery’s performance.
From a performance perspective, the energy density of ION’s solid-state battery is an astonishing 500 Wh/kg, which is 2.5 times higher than the current mainstream ternary lithium batteries. For example, electric vehicles equipped with ION solid-state batteries are expected to achieve a driving range exceeding 1000 kilometers, completely alleviating consumers’ “range anxiety” problem. In terms of cycle life, the battery can maintain 95.3% of its capacity even after more than 1000 charge-discharge cycles, far surpassing the 500-800 cycles typical of conventional lithium batteries, greatly enhancing the battery’s durability and cost-effectiveness.
In terms of safety, ION’s solid-state battery completely eliminates the risk of thermal runaway. Even in extreme temperature environments ranging from -30°C to 80°C, the battery can still maintain over 95% capacity output, greatly expanding its application scenarios. Furthermore, the battery supports 4C fast charging technology, which allows it to charge up to 80% in just 20 minutes, perfectly meeting the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) fast-charging target and laying a solid foundation for the rapid adoption of electric vehicles.
In terms of manufacturing, ION’s semi-automated production line in Maryland has already been completed. In March 2025, the first multi-layer ceramic solid-state battery was successfully produced, and the pilot line with a capacity of 1MWh is expected to produce 300 battery cells per day. According to plans, ION aims to expand production capacity to 10MWh by early 2025, which will be sufficient to supply batteries for 3000 electric vehicles annually. By 2028, the company’s target production capacity will reach 500MWh. It is worth mentioning that ION’s production process is compatible with existing lithium battery equipment, and through AI visual inspection technology, it has improved product yield to 85%, with expectations to reach 95% by 2026, significantly reducing capital investment and production costs.
Reshaping the Global Solid-State Battery Competitive Landscape
ION’s entry into the solid-state battery field has completely disrupted the original competitive landscape, resulting in a division of solid-state battery technology routes between China and the U.S. ION in the U.S. is focusing on the LLZO ceramic electrolyte route, which, due to its superior performance, is expected to push ceramic-based solid-state batteries to become the industry mainstream. However, this technology route currently faces the challenge of high costs. In contrast, Chinese companies mainly focus on the LATP oxide route. Companies like Qingtao Energy and Weilan New Energy have already achieved mass production of semi-solid-state batteries, demonstrating significant competitiveness in cost control. Japanese and South Korean companies, such as Toyota and Samsung SDI, are focusing on the sulfide route, but their overall research and development progress is lagging behind the U.S. and China.
On the policy and cooperation front, ION has received strong support from the U.S. government. The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has provided $20 million in funding, enabling ION to collaborate with companies like Saint-Gobain and KLA to advance the commercialization of solid-state batteries. Additionally, ION benefits from the “Solid-State Battery Manufacturing Alliance” program and is in deep cooperation with General Motors, aiming to integrate ION’s solid-state batteries into mass production by 2027. In comparison, Chinese companies are accelerating technology implementation through a full industry chain coordination model. For example, Qingtao Energy is jointly constructing a 65GWh production base with SAIC, and Weilan New Energy is supplying solid-state batteries for the NIO ET7 model. Guoxuan High-Tech also plans to achieve mass production of all-solid-state batteries by 2027. In terms of patent layout, competition between China and the U.S. is particularly fierce. According to global solid-state battery patent data in 2023, patents related to ceramic electrolytes accounted for as much as 68%, with Chinese applicants securing six of the top ten spots.
Despite ION’s technological and resource advantages, the cost of all-solid-state batteries remains high, reaching $500 per kWh. This is mainly due to the difficulty of producing ceramic electrolytes and the bottleneck in the lithium metal supply chain. ION is trying to alleviate cost pressures through lithium foil recycling technology (with a target recycling rate of 70%) and microwave sintering processes (which reduce energy consumption by 60%), but the actual effectiveness of these efforts remains to be verified in the market. In comparison, Chinese companies, benefiting from large-scale production and material innovations (such as LATP materials by Tianmu Xiandao), have more potential in cost control.
Opening a New Era of Energy Industry Transformation
The production of solid-state batteries by ION is having an impact that goes far beyond the battery industry itself, heralding the beginning of a new era of energy industry transformation. In the field of energy transition, ION’s solid-state batteries, with their high energy density and safety, will be a key enabler of the significant leap in electric vehicle range. They will also significantly improve the cost-effectiveness of energy storage systems. It is estimated that ION’s energy storage station cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) could drop to $0.12, accelerating the development of the energy storage industry and promoting the large-scale application of renewable energy.
On the geopolitical front, the efficient use of lithium metal in solid-state batteries could fundamentally change the global demand curve for lithium resources. ION’s ceramic solid-state battery improves lithium metal utilization by a factor of five, meaning that future dependence on traditional lithium ores will significantly decrease, thus impacting the global trade dynamics and geopolitical relations regarding lithium resources.
In the industry ecosystem, if ION can successfully achieve low-cost mass production, existing lithium battery giants like CATL and Panasonic will face significant challenges to their market positions. ION’s cooperation with General Motors could also reshape the U.S. electric vehicle supply chain, triggering a chain reaction in the global automotive industry.
From a technological development perspective, the competition between China and the U.S. in solid-state battery technology standards will become increasingly fierce. The differences in patent layouts for ceramic electrolytes between the two countries indicate that there will be a more intense battle for technological standard-setting in the future.
Looking ahead, as companies like ION and QuantumScape gradually scale up production, solid-state batteries are expected to make major breakthroughs first in high-end electric vehicles and energy storage sectors. This will not only propel the energy revolution to new heights but also profoundly change people’s mobility and energy consumption patterns, injecting strong momentum into global sustainable development.
