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LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220): All-Solid-State Battery Cell Development
The world's second-largest EV battery maker, using a polymer semi-solid stepping stone on its way to a full sulfide solid-state cell.
Who they are
LG Energy Solution is one of the world's largest EV battery manufacturers, spun off from LG Chem in 2020 and led by CEO Kim Dong-myung. It supplies conventional lithium-ion cells to a broad customer base of global automakers today, and — like its Korean rivals Samsung SDI and SK On — has a dedicated all-solid-state battery development program working toward eventual mass production.
What they do
LG Energy Solution's ASSB roadmap runs through its parent, LG Chem: in November 2025, LG Chem announced (with Hanyang University) a breakthrough using spray recrystallization technology to fix uneven particle-size distribution in sulfide solid electrolytes, improving capacity by roughly 15% and high-C-rate discharge capability by around 50%. Separately, in March 2026, LG Energy Solution demonstrated a high-capacity sulfur-cathode battery using an all-solid-state architecture, developed with University of Chicago and UC San Diego researchers and published in Nature Communications — research aimed at preventing the polysulfide dissolution problem that has historically limited sulfur-cathode batteries. The company's near-term commercial step is a polymer-based semi-solid battery targeted for around 2026, using higher-capacity silicon or lithium-metal anodes, positioned as a transition technology ahead of a full sulfide-based ASSB.
How they make money
LG Energy Solution's revenue today comes overwhelmingly from conventional lithium-ion EV, ESS, and small-format batteries sold to a global automaker roster. ASSB and semi-solid development is R&D investment layered on top — the company's public roadmap explicitly frames the polymer semi-solid step as commercially nearer-term (2026) while treating full sulfide ASSB mass production (2030) as the longer-term destination, a more gradual, staged approach than rivals pursuing a single sulfide "big bang" launch.
Where it sits in the value chain
LG Energy Solution sits in Cell Manufacturers alongside Samsung SDI — the two Korean giants racing on parallel but distinct sulfide-route timelines, both publicly targeting 2027–2030 commercialization windows. Industry-wide, LG Energy Solution is generally grouped in the "first tier" of ASSB developers alongside Toyota, Samsung SDI, SK On, and China's leading EV makers, based on the depth of core-technology investment and automaker relationships.
The bigger trend
LG Energy Solution's staged approach — polymer semi-solid first, sulfide ASSB later — is a deliberately different bet than Samsung SDI's more direct sulfide push targeting 2027, and it's worth watching whether the gradualist path pays off in lower execution risk or simply means arriving to the ASSB market later. The March 2026 sulfur-cathode research is a genuinely interesting wrinkle: sulfur cathodes promise much higher theoretical capacity than today's nickel-based cathodes, but have historically suffered from polysulfide dissolution degrading the cell over time — a problem the company says an all-solid-state architecture helps solve by physically preventing the dissolved polysulfides from migrating.
What to watch
- Whether the 2026 polymer semi-solid battery actually reaches commercial vehicles on schedule, as the first concrete proof point in LG Energy Solution's staged roadmap.
- Whether the sulfur-cathode ASSB research translates from a published academic result into an actual product development program with a stated timeline.
- How LG Energy Solution's 2030 sulfide ASSB target compares against Samsung SDI's 2027 target as both companies report progress through 2026–2027.
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FAQ
When will LG Energy Solution launch an all-solid-state battery?
The company's public roadmap targets full sulfide-based all-solid-state battery mass production by 2030, with a polymer-based semi-solid battery — using higher-capacity silicon or lithium-metal anodes — planned as an interim commercial step around 2026.
What is LG Energy Solution's sulfur-cathode battery research about?
In March 2026, the company demonstrated a high-capacity battery using sulfur as a cathode material within an all-solid-state architecture, developed with University of Chicago and UC San Diego researchers. The solid-state design helps prevent polysulfide dissolution, a degradation problem that has historically limited sulfur-cathode battery performance.
How does LG Energy Solution's ASSB timeline compare to Samsung SDI's?
Samsung SDI has publicly targeted sulfide ASSB mass production in the second half of 2027, while LG Energy Solution's stated target is 2030, with an intermediate polymer semi-solid product planned for around 2026. Both companies are widely grouped in the industry's "first tier" of ASSB developers.