On July 1st, the national standard for solid-state batteries was implemented: have you passed the precision threshold for manufacturing?

On July 1st, GB/T 43568-2026 "Solid state batteries for electric vehicles - Part 1: Terminology and classification" was officially implemented.

This is not just another industry reference document - it is the world's first national standard for solid-state batteries for vehicles, which uses quantitative indicators in black and white to cut off vague terms such as "semi-solid" and "quasi solid". CATL, BYD, and China Automotive Center jointly drafted that whoever sets the rules will have the most motivation to execute them.

The implementation of standards has a direct impact not on the laboratory, but on the production line.

What line does the national standard draw

The core judgment logic is very clear - divided into three levels according to the liquid electrolyte content:

• liquid batteryIf the electrolyte content is greater than 20%, it is a traditional lithium battery, and the name remains unchanged
• Hybrid solid-liquid batteryElectrolyte content of 5% -20%, formerly known as "semi-solid", this statement has been illegal since July 1st
• All solid state batteryElectrolyte content<5%, and weight loss rate ≤ 0.5% after 6 hours of vacuum baking at 120 ℃, with no visible liquid leakage

The key is the 0.5% weight loss rate red line. Bake at 120 ℃ for 6 hours, and you can tell how much liquid is left by weighing it. It is simple and rough, not easy to mess with. Previously, many "quasi solid" products on the market had a measured weight loss rate between 1.2% and 3% - not even meeting the threshold for mixed solid and liquid, let alone all solid products.

What does it mean for the manufacturing end

The classification criteria have changed, and the precision requirements for the manufacturing end have also changed accordingly.

Hybrid solid-liquid battery (the main production force in 2026)It retains 5% -20% of liquid electrolyte and separator, and the stacking/winding process is similar to traditional lithium batteries. But the two words' compliance 'are on top - the electrolyte content must be within the range of 5% -20%, and the thickness tolerance and alignment accuracy of the positive and negative electrode plates are stricter than traditional liquid batteries. Because any offset or stacking of electrode pieces may cause an imbalance in the local solid-liquid ratio, directly affecting the uniformity of electrolyte content, ultimately leading to inconsistent classification of the same batch of battery cells - whether this batch is a "mixed solid-liquid" or "liquid" is determined by testing.

All solid state battery (pilot line stage)The separator has been removed and the structure has been simplified to "positive electrode solid electrolyte negative electrode". Does it sound like the process is simpler? On the contrary. Without a diaphragm as a buffer, the precision required for the bonding between the electrode and the solid electrolyte membrane increases sharply - micrometer sized gaps can cause a surge in interface impedance. The fault tolerance space for double tension, misalignment, and offset during the stacking process is one order of magnitude smaller than that of traditional lithium batteries.

This is why dual detection becomes rigid in solid-state battery manufacturing:It's not that the new standard directly states' dual detector must be installed ', but the classification standard has raised the threshold for manufacturing accuracy to a position that traditional detection methods cannot handle.

Three hard bars at the production line end

Starting from the national standard, the manufacturing end must pass at least three levels:

Firstly, thickness detection of polarizer.  The electrode coating of hybrid solid-liquid batteries is thinner and more uniform, and the thickness deviation is directly related to the distribution of electrolyte content. Traditional caliper sampling cannot achieve real-time full inspection. Contact thickness measurement and dual sheet detection run synchronously to ensure that each pole piece is within the tolerance.

Secondly, stack alignment detection.  All solid state batteries do not have a diaphragm cover, and stack offset is no longer a minor issue that affects consistency, but a structural defect that leads to interface contact failure. Alignment detection must be upgraded from random inspection to 100% online detection.

Thirdly, double/multiple stack interception.  This is the bottom line. A deviation in the thickness of one pole piece may cause a deviation in the parameters of the battery cell. If two pole pieces are stacked together and put into the mold, they can be directly scrapped. The individual cost of solid-state battery cells is much higher than that of traditional liquid state batteries, which is not on the same scale as the cost of a single piece of waste.

The reality is that all the "solids" that can be purchased in 2026 are mixed solid-liquid mixtures

All "solid-state battery vehicles" that you can buy in 2026, classified according to the new national standard, are hybrid solid-liquid batteries. Ningde Times' condensed matter batteries (electrolyte<10%) and BYD's mid year products - all fall under this category.

But this is precisely the stage that the manufacturing side needs to pay the most attention to. The hybrid solid-liquid battery is compatible with over 90% of the existing lithium battery production line equipment, with controllable technological transformation costs and fast production pace - this means that a large number of traditional lithium battery production lines will undergo solid-state transformation at this stage. During the renovation process, whether to upgrade or compromise the detection equipment directly determines whether the production line can stably produce compliant products.

In conclusion

GB/T 43568-2026 is not a "recommended" standard, as it sets a bottom line for accuracy in the manufacturing of solid-state batteries. Starting from July 1st, the classification of batteries will no longer be based on promotional materials, but on the results of weight loss tests.

The accuracy of the production line cannot keep up with the classification standards, and the produced battery cells cannot be classified into the appropriate category. No matter how high the production capacity is, it is still useless.