Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz said an EQS prototype<\/a> equipped with Factorial’s semi-solid-state battery traveled 749 miles on a single charge, with an estimated 84 miles of range still remaining when it reached its destination. Stellantis has also installed the company’s battery in a prototype Dodge Charger Daytona<\/a> as part of its on-road testing program.<\/p>\n Mercedes EQS prototype with Factorial’s semi-solid-state battery.<\/p>\n Photo by: Factorial and Mercedes<\/p>\n While solid-state batteries promise significantly higher energy density, faster charging and improved safety by replacing flammable liquid electrolytes with solid materials, they’ve proven notoriously difficult to manufacture at scale without defects.<\/p>\n That’s where SK On comes in. The company will evaluate whether its vast global battery manufacturing footprint can help scale Factorial’s solid-state technology for mass production.<\/p>\n \u201cA battery breakthrough only matters if it can be manufactured at scale,\u201d Siyu Huang, the CEO of Factorial said in a statement. \u201c[SK On\u2019s] manufacturing footprint spans some of the world\u2019s most advanced battery facilities, and their expertise will be critical in shaping how solid-state battery technology integrates into global production ecosystems,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n A Dodge Charger Daytona EV prototype testing Factorial’s semi-solid-state battery.<\/p>\n Photo by: Stellantis<\/p>\n SK On already supplies batteries to Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Volkswagen and Ferrari. The company has about 200 gigawatt-hours of annual battery manufacturing capacity worldwide. Roughly half of that, about 100 GWh, is installed in the U.S.<\/p>\n The battery maker has, however, scaled back its U.S. operations after the Trump administration axed federal EV incentives last year, causing EV demand to reset. SK On and Ford also ended their joint venture to shift their focus toward the rapidly growing stationary energy storage market instead.<\/p>\n Factorial has signed similar non-binding agreements with LG Chem and South Korean battery materials suppliers Philenergy and Posco Future M. Like those partnerships, the memorandum with SK On is non-binding, meaning either company can walk away if the collaboration fails to produce any meaningful manufacturing breakthroughs.<\/p>\n Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com<\/a><\/p>\n \n \t\tWe want your opinion!\n\t<\/p>\n What would you like to see on Insideevs.com?<\/p>\n![\"Mercedes](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785343630_982_16x9-tr.png\")
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