The World Power Battery Conference 2026 opened on 3 September in Yibin, Sichuan Province, bringing together battery manufacturers, technology developers, policymakers and international partners. The fifth annual edition focused on advanced battery technologies, new safety requirements, energy storage, recycling and the growing role of artificial intelligence in manufacturing.
Eight technologies developed during 2025–2026 were presented at the conference. They included power batteries designed to support charging in approximately ten minutes, hybrid solid-liquid batteries with a stated specific energy of 350 Wh/kg, and large-capacity energy-storage cells ranging from 300 Ah to 600 Ah.
The programme placed these technical developments within three wider industry priorities: improving safety throughout the battery lifecycle, applying AI across design and production, and reducing the environmental impact of battery manufacturing and recycling.
Fast charging and energy density lead the technology agenda
Figures presented at the conference illustrated the long-term development of the China power battery industry. Organisers reported that lithium-battery driving ranges have increased from around 100 kilometres during the industry’s earlier stages to as much as 1,000 kilometres in selected current applications.
Charging times were reported to have fallen from several hours to around ten minutes. The conference also stated that some energy-storage batteries can reach approximately 1,500 charge cycles, compared with around 300 cycles during earlier stages of development, while battery costs have declined by as much as 90%.
These figures provide a broad picture of technological progress, but the published information does not identify a common battery chemistry, vehicle type, test method or comparison period. International buyers should therefore avoid using them as direct specifications for individual products.
The more useful procurement signal is the direction of development. Battery companies are competing across ultra-fast charging, energy density, safety, lifecycle performance and larger cell formats for stationary storage. Buyers assessing suppliers will still need product-level test results, warranties, certification records and independently verifiable performance data.
China’s new EV battery safety standard changes the baseline
Battery safety received particular attention following the introduction of China’s revised mandatory standard, GB 38031-2025: Electric Vehicles Traction Battery Safety Requirements.
The official national standards database confirms that the standard took effect on 1 July 2026. It was issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
One of its most important changes concerns thermal propagation. The previous standard required a warning before a battery fire or explosion. Under the revised requirements, a battery pack undergoing the thermal-propagation test must not catch fire or explode, while gases released during the test must not cause harm to vehicle occupants.
The standard also adds a bottom-impact test and a fast-charging-cycle safety test. Batteries capable of charging from 20% to 80% within 15 minutes must undergo an external short-circuit test after 300 fast-charging cycles without catching fire or exploding. An official government explanation of GB 38031-2025 provides further details about these changes.
For manufacturers and suppliers, the revised EV battery safety requirements increase the importance of thermal management, pack protection, cell monitoring and compliance testing. International companies sourcing batteries or electric-vehicle components from China should confirm which standards apply to their target market and request evidence that the products have completed the required tests.
AI and humanoid robots move into battery production
Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, identified AI integration as another major direction for the battery sector. Potential applications extend across battery design, production monitoring, quality control, predictive maintenance and battery-management systems.
The conference included a presentation by Wang He, founder and chief technology officer of Galbot, on embodied-intelligence robots developed for industrial work.
Galbot’s S1 heavy-duty humanoid robot has already been deployed on CATL production lines for material handling and picking during battery-module and battery-pack manufacturing. According to CATL’s official announcement, the robot has a dual-arm payload capacity of 50 kilograms, uses vision-based positioning and can operate for up to eight hours.
The deployment gives battery manufacturing automation a practical role beyond conventional fixed industrial robots. Mobile humanoid systems may be useful for repetitive or physically demanding work in production environments designed primarily for human workers.
Wang predicted that leading embodied-intelligence companies could reach a “ChatGPT moment” by 2028. This remains an industry forecast, but the use of Galbot robots inside an operating battery plant shows that commercial trials and deployments are already underway.
Spain looks for deeper industrial cooperation with China
Spain participated as the conference’s Guest Country of Honor for the first time. Seven Spanish organisations, including six companies and one technology centre, attended with capabilities covering precision automotive manufacturing, lightweight components, battery-management systems, testing and electrification research.
Spain’s Ambassador to China, Marta Betanzos Roig, said Chinese investment in Spain is moving from conventional trade towards long-term industrial projects, local production and partnerships with Spanish companies.
Spain is the European Union’s second-largest vehicle producer and has more than 1,100 automotive-component companies. However, the country is seeking additional capabilities in battery materials, production equipment, energy storage and battery recycling, according to Xinhua’s coverage of the Spanish delegation.
Existing cooperation includes CATL and Stellantis’s battery project in Zaragoza, Chery’s manufacturing partnership with Ebro in Barcelona and battery-recycling investment involving Gotion High-tech. These projects illustrate how Chinese battery and automotive companies are increasingly combining exports with European manufacturing and local partnerships.
What international battery buyers should take from Yibin
The technologies discussed in Yibin show that battery purchasing decisions can no longer be based only on price and nominal capacity. Buyers increasingly need to compare safety certification, fast-charging performance, thermal-management systems, lifecycle data, manufacturing traceability and end-of-life arrangements.
The range of applications is also widening. Power batteries are moving beyond passenger cars into stationary storage, commercial vehicles, electric vessels, industrial robots and low-altitude aircraft.
Companies following battery applications in electric motorcycles and two-wheelers can find related suppliers and technologies at CIMAMotor 2026 in Chongqing. Its product scope includes electric powertrains, batteries, control systems and charging equipment.
For international manufacturers, component suppliers and testing organisations, the clearest messages from the World Power Battery Conference 2026 are the tightening of safety requirements, the commercialisation of faster-charging and higher-density batteries, and the integration of AI and robotics into battery production.
Source: Yibin Information Office via Media OutReach Newswire. Additional facts verified through China’s national standards database, government guidance, CATL and Xinhua.
