Solid-State Batteries May Reach Smartphones a Decade Before EVs

The facility is making large-format lithium-ion cells rather than waiting for solid-state technology to mature. Its planned output includes lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, cells for stationary energy storage and nickel-manganese-cobalt, or NMC, cells for electric vehicles, including batteries intended for Toyota’s forthcoming all-electric Highlander.

That mix is significant. It shows a business strategy built around chemistries and production formats that can serve customers now, while solid-state research continues in the background. The near-term question for battery manufacturers is not only which chemistry performs best, but which one can be produced consistently, supplied locally and sold at a price automakers and energy-storage developers will accept.

Conventional lithium-ion improvements are the bridge

LG is also working with General Motors on lithium-manganese-rich, or LMR, prismatic cells. The companies plan to begin commercial production in the United States in 2028, with pre-production expected earlier.

GM says the cells are intended for future electric trucks and full-size SUVs, with a target of more than 400 miles of range and a cost approaching that of lower-cost LFP batteries. The chemistry relies more heavily on manganese and uses less nickel and cobalt than nickel-rich alternatives, according to reporting on the program.

LMR does not replace solid-state technology. It represents a different answer to the same commercial pressure: improving range and cost while using manufacturing processes that are closer to today’s battery industry. LG is also preparing 46-series cylindrical-cell production in Arizona, another indication that the company is pursuing several scalable lithium-ion formats while solid-state manufacturing remains unresolved.

Why 2027 solid-state announcements do not settle the question

Several competitors have announced milestones that sound earlier than LG’s EV forecast. BYD and CATL are targeting small-scale solid-state trial or pilot production in 2027. Geely has said it plans pilot deployment in vehicles across its brands in 2027 following validation.

Those announcements are meaningful, but the word pilot matters. Pilot production is designed to validate a process at limited volume; it is not the same as mass production for mainstream vehicles. Reporting on CATL’s plans places mass-market use later, around 2030 or beyond, while Geely’s own pilot-deployment timeline does not establish when solid-state batteries will become affordable at broad automotive volumes.

Other programs are similarly moving through testing, prototypes, samples or planned vehicle trials. Mercedes-Benz and BMW are testing solid-state batteries, while Stellantis has planned trials, but these activities still represent development and validation rather than proof of high-yield, cost-competitive mass production.

The practical timeline

The most defensible reading of Lee’s comments is a staged adoption path:

1. Small-format applications come first. Compact electronics and other specialized devices can make use of small cells with high energy density before automotive-scale manufacturing is ready.
2. Pilot lines follow. Companies can use limited production and demonstration vehicles to validate materials, interfaces, durability and manufacturing steps.
3. Mainstream EV production comes later. The decisive milestone is not a prototype or a 2027 pilot, but repeatable production of large cells at automotive quality and cost.

That makes LG’s position more cautious than contradictory. The company is not dismissing solid-state batteries; it is separating technical promise from industrial readiness. Lansing, LMR, LFP, NMC and cylindrical-cell programs all reflect the same commercial logic: battery improvements that can be manufactured at scale are likely to shape the rest of this decade, while solid-state EV batteries remain dependent on solving the large-format production problem.