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Mar. 19, 2026
As the new energy vehicle industry enters a critical stage of high-quality development, the technological evolution and standard system construction of power batteries are becoming the core variables that will determine the industry’s potential.
At the recently concluded 2026 China International New Energy Vehicle Supply Chain Conference and Going Global Forum (ICV Supply Chain 4.0 Conference), Wang Fang, drawing from her long-term practice in testing, evaluation, and standardization work, systematically reviewed the technological evolution of power batteries over the past few years. She further emphasized that, in the context of accelerating the introduction of complex application scenarios and new systems, the battery industry is shifting from "single-point performance breakthroughs" to a more systematic competition of "full lifecycle and multi-scenario coupling capabilities."
Wang Fang began by shifting the focus to the overall development trajectory of the new energy vehicle industry. She pointed out that, over the past decade, the new energy vehicle industry, both globally and in China, has fully undergone three stages: exploration, nurturing, and growth. At present, the industry has officially entered the "high-quality development stage." A key characteristic of this stage is the shift from scale expansion to quality enhancement, and from competition based on individual technical indicators to a multidimensional competition of comprehensive capabilities.
Against this backdrop, power batteries, as the core technology unit of new energy vehicles, have also experienced significant changes in their development path. By reviewing the technical features of products from leading companies during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Wang Fang summarized a highly representative trend evolution path.
During the period from 2020 to 2022, the key technological terms for power batteries focused on aspects such as “heat dissipation, thermal insulation, and heat transfer.” These seemingly engineering-oriented terms actually reflect a collective shift in the industry at a critical juncture—namely, the systematic strengthening of thermal safety capabilities.
This shift is closely related to the introduction of mandatory national standards. Wang Fang mentioned that after the release of the GB 38031 battery safety standard, the industry's technical focus clearly shifted toward "blocking thermal diffusion and enhancing safety redundancy." Companies no longer solely focused on energy density but began to think at the system level: how to prevent risk spread in the event of a single-cell failure. This phase was essentially the construction period for the "safety foundation" of power batteries.
After 2022, the industry’s focus shifted significantly, forming two parallel mainlines:
Fast charging, ultra-fast charging, and quick charging reflect the strong demand from users for energy replenishment efficiency;
Solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries represent the industry's exploration of next-generation battery technologies.
Wang Fang specifically emphasized that fast charging is not just about increasing charging speed; it involves a whole set of complex electrochemical and thermal management issues. During high-rate charging, the migration and insertion of lithium ions lead to a series of chain reactions, including:
Excessive heat generation, intensifying side reactions, and changes in the material lattice structure.
These changes directly affect the battery's thermal stability, safety boundaries, and lifespan. Therefore, the improvement of fast charging capability is essentially a comprehensive test of the battery system’s capabilities.
At the same time, the emergence of solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries signifies the industry’s attempt to fundamentally reconstruct the battery system. Wang Fang views this "system-level innovation" as the most promising but also the most challenging direction for the future.
Wang Fang provided a set of highly convincing data:
In 2020, only about 10% of batteries passed the "one-hour non-fire, non-explosion" thermal diffusion test. By around 2025, this proportion is expected to rise to 80%–90%.
This change clearly reflects the overall leap in the industry’s safety capabilities.
At the same time, energy density and fast-charging performance are also improving in parallel. In other words, the industry is gradually breaking free from the traditional dilemma of “safety versus performance” and entering a new stage of “multi-parameter collaborative optimization.”
In summarizing the fundamental reasons for technological progress, Wang Fang categorized them into three main directions:
Process and structure innovation: This includes battery structure design, manufacturing process optimization, and improvements in system integration capabilities.
New materials and new systems: This covers innovations in positive and negative electrode materials and the exploration of solid-state electrolytes.
Full-chain AI empowerment: From design and manufacturing to operational management, there’s an intelligent upgrade.
Among these, the introduction of AI is changing the underlying logic of battery research and application, shifting system optimization from "experience-driven" to "data-driven."
As the number of new energy vehicles continues to rise, the application environments that power batteries face are becoming increasingly complex. Wang Fang pointed out that in the past, battery testing was mostly conducted in relatively single scenarios. However, in real-world usage environments, multiple extreme conditions often overlap. For example:
Fast charging combined with high-temperature environments
Driving through water combined with bottom impacts
Long-cycle aging combined with high-rate usage
This "multi-scenario coupling" imposes higher requirements on the batteries.
In fast charging scenarios, batteries not only have to endure high current impacts but also deal with the thermal accumulation and material changes that result. Wang Fang emphasized that one of the key directions for future standards is to ensure that batteries maintain stable fast-charging capabilities throughout their entire lifecycle. In other words, fast charging should not be seen as a "short-term capability of new batteries" but must remain safe and reliable throughout long-term use. This requirement will directly drive the shift in battery design from "performance peak optimization" to "lifecycle stability design."
Compared to thermal safety, mechanical safety is often underestimated, but it is actually very common in practical use. Wang Fang pointed out that during driving, batteries may encounter:
Impact with fixed obstacles
Stone impacts on the road surface
Scraping on the chassis
Especially in water-exposure environments, water flow may carry debris, causing composite impacts on the battery’s underside. This "water + impact" coupled scenario is a key area that future testing and standard setting must focus on. Therefore, battery safety is no longer just about impact resistance in a single dimension, but needs to be considered in coordination with the entire vehicle structure and chassis design.
In the process of international regulation formulation, the industry has gradually reached a consensus: for existing battery systems, "absolute zero risk" is not realistic. Wang Fang proposed that the core of future safety design should not only focus on reducing the likelihood of failure but also ensuring that failure, if it occurs, is "controllable." Specifically, this includes:
Providing sufficient escape time for occupants
Controlling the rate of temperature rise inside the vehicle
Preventing toxic gases and smoke from causing harm to the human body
This shift in concept marks the evolution of power battery safety from being an "engineering problem" to a "system safety problem."
Wang Fang emphasized that battery safety is no longer limited to the cell or battery pack itself; it has become a system engineering process that spans multiple levels:
Material Level: The intrinsic safety of electrolytes, and positive and negative electrode materials
Cell Level: Structural design and manufacturing consistency
System Level: Thermal management and Battery Management System (BMS)
Vehicle Level: Structural protection and intelligent operating strategies
Only through collaborative optimization across all levels can true safety assurance be achieved. Furthermore, the introduction of intelligent technologies is also changing the battery’s operating environment. For instance, intelligent management systems can ensure that the battery always operates within a “relatively comfortable” range, thereby reducing risks.
When discussing solid-state batteries, Wang Fang provided a relatively rational judgment: they are not simply a "safer alternative," but a completely new technological system.
The core of solid-state batteries is the replacement of traditional liquid electrolytes with solid-state electrolytes. This change will trigger a series of chain reactions:
Altered ion conduction mechanisms
Changed interface contact characteristics
Increased sensitivity to temperature and pressure
These changes are both the source of advantages and the root of challenges.
Wang Fang pointed out that the primary challenge for solid-state batteries is the interface issue. Since the contact between solid-state materials is not as complete as in liquid systems, the following problems may arise:
Side reactions at the interface
Increased contact impedance
Performance instability
At the same time, solid-state batteries are more sensitive to pressure and temperature, which imposes higher requirements on vehicle applications.
Although solid-state batteries theoretically offer higher safety, their safety boundaries are not inherently superior but "different." Therefore, new evaluation systems need to be established to systematically validate their safety performance under high energy density conditions.
Wang Fang emphasized that the real challenge of solid-state batteries lies in their engineering:
The electrochemical window and conductivity of electrolyte materials
Mechanical properties and environmental adaptability
System integration and thermal management design
These issues must be gradually solved in practical applications.
As an expert with long experience in testing and standard formulation, Wang Fang repeatedly emphasized the importance of the standard system in her speech. She pointed out that standards are not just "bottom-line constraints," but also tools for guiding technological direction. For example:
Thermal diffusion standards have driven the development of safety technologies
Fast charging standards will drive the optimization of performance over the entire lifecycle
Multi-scenario testing will promote the enhancement of system capabilities
It can be said that each upgrade of standards leads to a new round of technological evolution in the industry.
At the end of her speech, Wang Fang did not offer a simple conclusion but, through a systematic review of technological trends, application challenges, and the standard system, presented a clear judgment:
The power battery industry is transitioning from "single-point technological breakthroughs" to "system capability competition."
Future competition will no longer focus solely on who has the highest energy density or the fastest charging, but on who can achieve a comprehensive balance of safety, performance, and lifespan in complex scenarios.
In this process, testing, evaluation, and the standard system will become the key bridge connecting technological innovation with industrial implementation.
For the entire new energy vehicle industry, this also signals the arrival of a new era: an era that starts with the "safety baseline" and moves toward "full-scenario capabilities."
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