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Samsung SDI (KRX: 006400): All-Solid-State Battery Cell Manufacturing
The world's most-patented all-solid-state battery maker, racing toward 2027 mass production with a manufacturing process it says no rival has matched.
Who they are
Samsung SDI is the battery and electronic-materials arm of the Samsung group, and — on paper at least — the world leader in all-solid-state battery (ASB, its preferred shorthand) patents, with more than 75 filings. It set up a dedicated ASB Commercialization Team back in December 2023 and has run a pilot production line ("S-line") at its Suwon R&D Center since March 2022, moving from proto samples to customer sampling over the years since.
What they do
Samsung SDI's ASB cells target 900+ Wh/L energy density using a sulfide-based electrolyte — about 40% higher than the company's current best prismatic lithium-ion cell. Its pitched differentiator on the manufacturing side is a roll-press-based continuous process for bonding electrode and electrolyte layers, versus the batch-type warm isostatic pressing (WIP) most rivals use — a claim the company says gives it an edge on both scalability and cost once mass production starts. It's also shown pouch-type ASB samples aimed specifically at humanoid robots at InterBattery 2026, alongside the more familiar EV pitch.
How they make money
Today's revenue is almost entirely conventional lithium-ion batteries (EV, ESS, and small-format cells) plus semiconductor and display materials — ASB is pre-revenue R&D spend, not a product line yet. What's notable in 2026 is how fast Samsung SDI's customer list for future ASB and conventional cells has grown: a first-ever EV battery supply deal with Hyundai Motor (April 2026, prismatic P6 cells for Europe, 2026–2032) and a first-ever deal with Mercedes-Benz (also April 2026) round out a customer roster that already included BMW — meaning by the time ASB cells are ready to ship, Samsung SDI will have relationships with three of the automakers most likely to actually put them in a car.
Where it sits in the value chain
Samsung SDI sits in Cell Manufacturers — the tier that has to actually make a working, safe, gigawatt-hour-scale cell, not just hold patents on the chemistry. Most leading ASSB programs, Samsung SDI's included, remain at the A-sample or B-sample prototype stage rather than the C-sample stage that precedes automotive qualification — the gap that keeps "2027" a target rather than a shipping date across the whole industry.
The bigger trend
Samsung SDI's ASB push is happening against a backdrop of an otherwise tough stretch for the company — CEO Choi Joo-sun, who took over in 2025, has been publicly framing 2026 as a "turnaround" year after a period of weaker earnings, leaning on new ESS project wins and expanding EV battery deals with premium automakers. Global customers have reportedly given early positive feedback on Samsung SDI's ASB samples for safety and energy density, which matters because solid-state cells still cost an estimated $400–600/kWh versus roughly $81–128/kWh for today's LFP and NCM cells — cost, not chemistry, is the thing standing between "sample" and "shipping."
What to watch
- Whether Samsung SDI's ASB program actually reaches C-sample qualification on schedule for 2027 mass production, or slips like most of the industry's solid-state timelines have.
- How the Hyundai Motor and Mercedes-Benz prismatic battery deals (announced April 2026) evolve — they're conventional lithium-ion supply agreements today, but plant the relationships an eventual ASB rollout could ride on.
- Whether the humanoid-robot ASB pitch turns into a named commercial deal, or stays a trade-show talking point alongside the EV story.
Related companies
FAQ
When does Samsung SDI plan to mass-produce solid-state batteries?
The company has consistently targeted mass production in the second half of 2027, with limited premium-vehicle and wearable-device applications potentially arriving earlier, around 2026, and broader adoption expected to follow closer to 2028–2030.
Is Samsung SDI's solid-state battery the same as QuantumScape's or Solid Power's?
No. Samsung SDI is a cell manufacturer building complete battery cells; QuantumScape and Solid Power are cell-technology and electrolyte-IP companies that license or supply materials to cell makers. Samsung SDI is, in fact, a customer of Solid Power's electrolyte under their joint agreement with BMW.
What applications is Samsung SDI targeting beyond EVs?
Grid-scale energy storage systems (ESS) and humanoid robots, alongside electric vehicles. The company has said a high-energy-density, non-flammable cell may be a better near-term fit for robotics and wearables than for mass-market EVs, given current solid-state cost levels.