MG has confirmed that it will be the first manufacturer to introduce semi-solid-state batteries in the UK, beating rivals such as Toyota and Nissan who have been talking about the revolutionary tech for several years. Semi-solid-state batteries are a new technology that chiefly benefits electric car drivers by bringing increased safety and charging performance at a lower cost. It will be used in the MG4 Urban in the UK, later in 2026.
The new MG ‘SolidCore’ battery will be the first mass-produced semi-solid-state battery to go on sale in Europe, and while it will go in the MG4 Urban EV first, there will also be two new models – potentially a new sports saloon and a family SUV, if sneaky images that I saw at the tech reveal at the company’s Frankfurt HQ is anything to go by.
Semi-solid state batteries are an interesting tech that many manufacturers have been researching for some time, but MG is the first brand to bring the new tech to the market in Europe.
As a very simple explainer, the common NMC and LFP batteries that are in most electric cars all have a liquid electrolyte – which is what allows electrically charged particles to pass between the electrodes, allowing the battery to charge and discharge. You can read our explainer to find out the pros and cons of these more common battery chemistries.
Basically, a battery won’t work without an electrolyte, but it’s also this liquid electrolyte that reacts with oxygen and can cause thermal runaway (where the battery cells burn in a chain reaction) if the cells are compromised. The liquid can also boil or freeze, meaning extra care has to be taken to cool or heat them when rapid charging or in cold climates.
MG describes its new SolidCore battery as being 95% solid composition, so while it still has some liquid component, this technology makes the battery safer. MG showed us footage of a drill being put through the battery – which is rather reminiscent of BYD’s stunt with hammering a nail through its LFP Blade Battery.
Basically, it’s really safe. The new SolidCore battery is also said to be 15% faster to charge than MG’s existing LFP batteries, and performs much better in extremely cold conditions up to -30deg.
However, the specific range and charging figures – and pricing - for the forthcoming 2026 MG4 Urban EV with semi-solid state batteries is yet to be confirmed, so watch this space for more on that.
The MG4 EV Urban currently gets a range of up to 258 miles, and we understand that the existing LFP batteries will continue to be sold alongside the new semi-solid-state batteries, so we'd hope for a range of closer to 300 miles from this new battery tech.
The MG4 Urban currently has an LFP battery and a range of up to 258 miles 
