After much anticipation, a new EV battery, often referred to as the “holy grail” of its industry, has just entered the market for the first time. The first mass-produced EV to feature a semi-solid-state battery, the new MG4, was just approved for sale in China by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
What differentiates this battery is that it uses a manganese-based lithium-ion battery instead of a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. These semi-solid-state batteries are generally safer, more stable, and offer higher energy density than their counterparts. They’re also more environmentally friendly and can be manufactured using nontoxic materials. This is all to say that the mass production of this kind of EV is a major leap forward in manufacturing technology, though such innovation is par for the course in China these days.
“China is decades ahead in many areas, specially in … EV technology,” commented a reader in response to the Electrek article announcing this upgrade. “Just bought the new MG5S 64KWH for almost [half] the [price of premium western brands].”
Something that’s easy to forget now that electric vehicles have been on the market for so long is that, similarly to the process for making gas-powered cars, the technology behind producing EV batteries is still evolving rapidly, and its full capabilities remain largely unknown. As a result, the gap between electric vehicles and gas-guzzlers will only continue to widen in the coming years, both from an environmental and a consumer perspective.
EVs save customers money on everything from fuel to routine maintenance tasks like fluid and oil changes, while they also have much quieter engines and don’t produce tailpipe pollution. Additionally, owning an electric vehicle can also benefit your home and lower your energy bills, as you can install solar panels and EV chargers, potentially solving three problems at once.
In this regard, charging an EV at home is significantly more cost-effective than using public chargers. Qmerit is helping homeowners interested in installing Level 2 EV chargers by providing free, instant estimates. Installing solar panels on your home can also dramatically increase the cost savings associated with EV ownership. To aid in your search, consider using EnergySage, which makes it easy to compare quotes from vetted local companies and save up to $10,000 on solar installation.
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