BYD's Yangwang Tests Solid-State Flagship as GM Sets 2028 LMR Battery Plan

The Yangwang sedan, spotted testing in China, measures about 5.5 metres long, roughly the size of a Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class. It would be BYD's first vehicle with rear-hinged coach doors. Hu Xiaoqing, Yangwang's general manager, confirmed on Weibo that the car's name has yet to be finalised. Internally, BYD is calling it "HU".

Autohome reports that the executive-class EV will be BYD's first to use solid-state batteries. Electrek reported the sighting on 29 September, citing images that show the car at one of BYD's Flash Charging stations, which suggests it can support megawatt fast charging.

BYD executive vice president Stella Li told Carwow.es earlier this month that the company is "in the leading position" in solid-state battery tech and will "prove it" with its first vehicle equipped with solid-state batteries set to debut in 2027. FinDreams, BYD's battery business, aims to begin producing sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries in limited batches in 2027, scaling to mass production by 2030. The price is not small. Reports estimate the Yangwang sedan will cost over 2 million yuan, nearly $300,000. The existing Yangwang U7 starts at 658,000 yuan.

GM goes the other way: cheap cells first

GM is taking the opposite route. Ultium Cells, its joint venture with LG Energy Solution, said on Tuesday that it will produce lithium manganese rich (LMR) cells at its Spring Hill, Tennessee facility. The company called it "the first in the world to mass produce prismatic LMR battery cells".

According to Ultium Cells, LMR batteries hold the potential to deliver 33% higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) at a comparable cost. GM will use them in upcoming electric trucks and full-size SUVs, aiming for over 400 miles of range. Kurt Kelty, GM vice president of battery and sustainability, said "adding LMR positions us to leapfrog today's more affordable chemistries and deliver lower costs with better performance". Upgrades to the Spring Hill facility begin later this year and are expected to be completed by 2028, creating an additional 500 jobs and bringing the workforce to 1,700. GM is expected to launch its first vehicle with the new LMR batteries in 2028. For context, GM's current longest-range EV, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, offers an estimated up to 478 miles on a single charge using a high-nickel battery. It starts at $55,895.

Grid, trucks, and the cost question

Battery hardware is moving in parallel with how that energy gets used. In Vermont, more than 5,500 people have home battery systems from Green Mountain Power, which installs two batteries for $55 a month over a 10-year lease. The utility's virtual power plant has become Vermont's largest source of power, according to the BBC. The US now has over 40GW of virtual power plant capacity, according to internal analysis by Wood Mackenzie cited by the BBC, and a 2025 US Department of Energy report says 160GW could be made available by 2030.

On the commercial side, a new total cost of ownership analysis by Transport & Environment found that in six out of nine major EU markets, electric trucks are already the best financial choice today. Those six markets account for 46% of all new heavy trucks sold in the EU. Savings over five years can reach €100,000 in the Netherlands, €85,000 in Germany and €69,000 in Denmark, with electric trucks paying off after 2 years.

In New Zealand, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority is launching a trial that will install up to 100 two-way chargers in homes and businesses in Auckland and other urban areas. Murray Bell, EECA policy and regulation manager, said a charged EV could run a household for "up to three or four days" during outages. Australia has already run large trials, and two-way charging is available in certain circumstances in New South Wales and South Australia.

Meanwhile, IEEE Spectrum reports that Delhi cut electricity losses from 50% to 5% through its grid overhaul, a reminder that the wires between batteries matter as much as the cells. Not every battery goes into a car. Researchers at MIT built a swallowable battery from a rice paper-like material that powered electronics in pig stomachs for 3 days before breaking down, according to Chemical & Engineering News. The voltage dipped from 1.84 V to 1.45 V over that period.