It's easy to get excited about solid-state batteries in electric vehicles. Predicting when you'll actually be able to buy an EV equipped with one is a lot harder. China has set mass-producing solid-state batteries as a national goal to help move things along, but its largest battery manufacturer, CATL, is careful not to overpromise.

China wants to achieve large-scale deployment of solid-state batteries by 2030, under a new battery industry roadmap released on September 28. According to the South China Morning Post, the aim is to extend the country's already significant advantage in conventional batteries into the next generation of technology.