Chery: Electric-vehicle headlines these days read like a sci-fi shortlist: “1,000-kilometre range,” “600 Wh/kg,” “solid-state breakthrough.” China’s Chery has just joined that conversation with a bold technical claim and if even a slice of it is true, the implications for range, weight and whole-car design could be huge. This article walks through what Chery announced, how that stacks up against incumbents like CATL and BYD, why the numbers matter in plain language, and what realistically stands between press releases and cars on the road.
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Chery: How the numbers translate to real cars
“600 Wh/kg” is eye-catching, but we need to translate it into battery mass and pack size for a 1,000 km car. EV range depends on vehicle efficiency (how many kWh are used per 100 km). Here are three realistic consumption scenarios and what battery mass looks like under three energy-density assumptions:
- If a vehicle uses 13 kWh/100 km (very efficient), for 1,000 km it needs 130 kWh.
- At 600 Wh/kg → battery mass ≈ 217 kg.
- At 400 Wh/kg → ≈ 325 kg.
- At 300 Wh/kg → ≈ 433 kg.
- If a vehicle uses 15 kWh/100 km (typical efficient sedan), for 1,000 km it needs 150 kWh.
- At 600 Wh/kg → 250 kg.
- At 400 Wh/kg → 375 kg.
- At 300 Wh/kg → 500 kg.
- If a vehicle uses 18 kWh/100 km (larger SUV), for 1,000 km it needs 180 kWh.
- At 600 Wh/kg → 300 kg.
- At 400 Wh/kg → 450 kg.
- At 300 Wh/kg → 600 kg.
How this stacks up against CATL and BYD
CATL
- CATL has made its own high-range claims: the company introduced the Shenxing Plus LFP derivative that was presented as capable of “over 1,000 km” in certain vehicle implementations — a major milestone for LFP chemistry. CATL is also pursuing lithium-metal and other next-gen architectures in parallel.
- Note: CATL has repeatedly pushed back on exaggerated rumours (e.g., some social posts claimed far larger numbers or impossible timelines), underscoring the gap between PR noise and verified production plans.
BYD
- BYD has focused on incremental improvements to its Blade battery and on system-level engineering (pack layout, thermal management, and vehicle integration). BYD has also showcased ultra-fast charging claims and strong real-world performance from its energy-dense Blade designs and related research efforts. Those system optimizations can produce very competitive vehicle range even without a dramatic single-cell leap.
Conclusion
Chery’s solid-state announcement is an attention-grabber and a legitimate data point in the broader race to beat range limits. If its 600 Wh/kg number and 1,000+ km target translate into reliable pack performance and reasonable cost, it would be a real leap. But the history of battery tech is full of brilliant lab results that took years to industrialize. For now, we should treat the news as very promising rather than definitive: it raises the probability that long-range solid-state EVs will appear in the next few years, but it does not guarantee mass market disruption overnight.
Bhakti Rawat is a Founder & Writer of InsureMyCar360.com. This site Provides You with Information Related To the Best Auto Insurance Updates & comparisons. 🔗