China is quickly becoming the most affluent electric vehicle (EV) market in the world with all of its automakers making significant headway. In a recent ground-breaking development, one of the top-three Chinese automakers, Dongfeng Sokon (DFSK) has announced a demonstration of the country’s first batch of solid-state battery-based EVs.
These new batteries have been fitted to DFSK’s Aeolus E70. It is a fully-electric compact family sedan launched in 2019 as an all-electric economy car.
The Aeolus E70 has a single electric motor, mated to a 61 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The powertrain makes 150 horsepower (hp) and 260 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque and has an electric range of up to 508 kilometers.
This is promising news for the EV arena as the solid-state batteries (if perfected) are cheaper to make and are less complex. Besides, they offer more power and a better range. This implies that equipped with solid-state batteries, the Aeolus E70 is likely to become lighter, more powerful, and more efficient.
According to a recent report, the first batch of 50 Aeolus E70 EVs fitted with solid-state batteries will be rolled out for testing in the Jiangxi, Guangzhou, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu provinces. Following the testing, the company will decide the vehicle’s fate in the global market.