MG 07 Launch and Yibin Battery Summit Gain Momentum

SAIC’s MG has launched the new MG 07 at the 2026 Chengdu Auto Show on August 21, while just one day earlier officials in Chengdu unveiled plans for the 2026 World Power Battery Conference in nearby Yibin, Sichuan, scheduled for September 3–4. Together, the two developments tell a larger story about China’s EV industry: new products are arriving with sharper pricing and more advanced battery choices, while the country’s battery ecosystem is scaling up around global supply chains, solid-state R&D, recycling, and low-carbon manufacturing.

MG 07 Debuts in China With EV and PHEV Powertrains

MG’s latest mid-size sedan enters one of the most competitive segments in China with seven variants priced from 108,900 yuan to 159,900 yuan (about USD 16,000 to USD 23,500). That headline price is particularly notable because the model offers both BEV and PHEV options, giving MG a broader reach in a market where consumers remain split between full electrification and long-range hybrid flexibility.

Deliveries are staggered by battery version:

• 650 km-range EVs: deliveries begin at the end of August
• 845 km-range EVs: deliveries start in October
• EV pre-sales had already opened at the end of last month, from 125,900 yuan

From a packaging standpoint, the MG 07 aims to blend style and practicality:

• Length/width/height: 4,886 / 1,900 / 1,478 mm
• Wheelbase: 2,825 mm
• Frunk: 168 liters
• Semi-hidden door handles
• Frameless doors
• 5-stage electric rear spoiler
• Six exterior colors

Inside, MG equips the sedan with a 15.6-inch floating center display, a full LCD instrument cluster, and the 8295P cockpit chip running Inspiration OS. On the driver-assistance side, the car integrates LiDAR and a system based on Momenta’s R7 enhanced world model plus an in-house X7 large-model chip.

MG 07 Specifications at a Glance

One of the most interesting technical details is battery sourcing. The 610 km BEV versions use semi-solid batteries from Qingtao, while the remaining EV and hybrid versions use LFP batteries from CATL. That gives the MG 07 unusual relevance beyond the product itself: it is also a showcase for how Chinese automakers are increasingly mixing battery chemistries and suppliers to target different price points, range expectations, and commercialization timelines.

Why the MG 07 Matters in China’s EV Price War

The MG 07 lands in a market where automakers are under pressure to offer:

• More range for less money
• Smarter cockpits with AI-driven interfaces
• Higher-speed charging enabled by 800V architecture
• More advanced ADAS features such as LiDAR
• Flexible powertrain strategies, including PHEV alongside BEV

At a starting price of 108,900 yuan, MG is pushing premium-adjacent hardware deeper into the mass market. The inclusion of a 245 km CLTC electric-only range on the PHEV is also significant, because Chinese buyers increasingly expect plug-in hybrids to function as genuine electric commuters rather than just fuel-saving transitional vehicles.

Yibin Prepares for the 2026 World Power Battery Conference

If the MG 07 shows what China’s battery industry can deliver in a consumer vehicle, the upcoming 2026 World Power Battery Conference in Yibin shows where the industry is heading next.

At a press conference held in Chengdu on August 20, organizers confirmed that the event will take place in Yibin, Sichuan, on September 3–4 under the theme:

“Electrifying Everything, Integration and Symbiosis”

The conference is approved by China’s State Council and hosted by the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, with support from Yibin and provincial and ministry-linked industrial bodies. This year’s format is built around a “1+1+8+N” structure:

• 1 opening ceremony
• 1 plenary conference
• 8 thematic forums
• Multiple side events

Organizers say the 2026 edition will focus on four major directions:

• International cooperation
• Technology leadership
• Full-domain application
• Diverse use cases

Spain has been invited as the guest country of honor, with participation expected from officials and industry representatives linked to countries including Germany and South Korea.

Four Years of Growth Have Turned Yibin Into a Battery Hub

The battery conference has been held in Sichuan since 2022, and by 2026 it will open in Yibin for the fifth consecutive year. According to official figures from the event organizers and local government, the first four editions collectively attracted:

• More than 1,100 key enterprises
• Nearly 7,000 major guests
• Nearly 700 new technologies and products released
• More than 400 major projects signed
• Almost 380 billion yuan in total investment

A separate report tied to the event emphasizes Yibin’s industrial rise:

• Existing battery production capacity in Yibin has reached 240 GWh
• Capacity is expected to hit 300 GWh in Q3
• Officials say 1 in every 10 power batteries produced globally is now “made in Yibin”

That claim underlines how central the city has become in China’s battery geography. Yibin is no longer just an event host; it is positioning itself as a strategic node spanning upstream materials, cell manufacturing, downstream applications, and recycling.

China’s Power Battery Industry Is Still Growing Fast

The broader national backdrop is equally striking. According to officials cited at the press conference:

• China’s power battery installed capacity rose from 63.6 GWh in 2020 to 769.7 GWh in 2025
• In January–July 2026, cumulative battery sales reached 790.4 GWh, up 37.1% year-on-year
• Battery exports reached 146.7 GWh, up 52.1% year-on-year

These numbers highlight a key reality: even after years of explosive growth, China’s battery sector is still expanding at a pace that most global competitors would consider extraordinary. Export growth above 50% also suggests Chinese suppliers are becoming more deeply embedded in overseas EV and energy storage markets.

Solid-State, Sodium-Ion, Storage, and Recycling Move to Center Stage

One reason this year’s battery conference matters is that it goes beyond conventional EV manufacturing and focuses on the next wave of commercialization.

Key topics expected at the event include:

• Solid-state battery industrialization
• Low-carbon certification for power batteries
• Global lithium resource supply chain security
• Long-duration and safe energy storage technologies
• Battery recycling and closed-loop utilization
• Cross-sector applications in low-altitude economy, intelligent equipment, and embodied AI

Sichuan officials say the province is relying on 15 national and provincial innovation platforms to pursue core technology breakthroughs. They are explicitly prioritizing:

• Solid-state batteries as a new competitive track
• Sodium-ion batteries as a forward-looking reserve technology
• Smarter, greener manufacturing upgrades across the supply chain

That makes the MG 07’s use of semi-solid battery technology especially timely. While fully solid-state batteries remain at an early commercialization stage, semi-solid and hybrid-electrolyte approaches are increasingly being used as transitional technologies that can deliver higher energy density without waiting for the full industrial maturity of all-solid-state cells.

Sichuan and Yibin Are Expanding Battery Manufacturing and Applications

Sichuan’s industrial targets remain aggressive. Provincial officials said they aim for:

• More than 300 GWh of annual power battery output this year
• Capacity utilization above 80%
• Continued progress on major projects including CATL’s Sichuan phases and CALB’s Zigong project

Yibin, meanwhile, is broadening battery use beyond passenger EVs.

Local officials highlighted several milestones:

• 19 new energy storage projects built, totaling 926 MWh
• 3,101 new energy heavy trucks in operation
• Heavy truck fleet up more than 16 times versus 2022
• EV penetration in that segment at 31.49%, the highest in Sichuan
• 15 green ships built or under construction
• A local green and intelligent ship R&D center bringing together 9 top research institutions

This matters because battery demand growth in China is no longer driven only by private passenger cars. Commercial vehicles, grid storage, inland shipping, and emerging low-altitude applications are becoming important demand pillars.

Battery Recycling Becomes a Strategic Priority

Another major theme is the coming wave of retired EV batteries. Sichuan expects its first major battery retirement cycle during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, making recycling a strategic issue rather than a future talking point.

The province says it was the first in China to issue interim rules for the management of recycling and utilization of retired NEV power batteries. It has also pushed ahead with a regional recycling-center model, formally announcing the first five regional centers in June 2026.

Officials say the next phase will focus on:

• Upgrading the regulatory framework
• Increasing policy support
• Tightening enforcement against non-compliant recycling channels

For the global EV market, this is a closely watched development. As battery volumes rise, recycling will increasingly determine cost recovery, raw-material security, and the carbon footprint of the full battery lifecycle.

Key Data Snapshot

Why This Matters Globally

The connection between the MG 07 launch and the Yibin battery summit is straightforward: China’s EV competitiveness increasingly rests on battery depth, not just vehicle assembly.

Several global implications stand out:

• Battery chemistry diversification is accelerating. MG’s mix of semi-solid and LFP batteries reflects how Chinese OEMs and suppliers are tailoring chemistry to use case and price.
• China is scaling from EVs into full electrification ecosystems. The conference agenda spans passenger cars, heavy trucks, ships, storage, low-altitude mobility, and AI-enabled devices.
• Industrial clustering remains a major advantage. Yibin’s rapid rise shows how local governments, battery makers, automakers, and research platforms are coordinating capital, policy, and manufacturing.
• Recycling and low-carbon certification are moving up the value chain. These are becoming export and market-access issues, especially as Europe and other regions tighten carbon accounting.
• Global supply-chain influence is expanding. With exports up 52.1% in the first seven months of 2026, Chinese battery makers are becoming even more central to worldwide EV and storage deployment.

The Bigger Industry Takeaway

The MG 07 is not just another sedan launch. It reflects a broader shift in China’s EV market, where affordable vehicles are now expected to offer long range, advanced software, high-voltage charging architecture, and next-generation battery options. At the same time, the World Power Battery Conference in Yibin shows that the industry is preparing for its next battles: solid-state commercialization, low-carbon manufacturing, recycling scale-up, and global standard-setting.

Looking ahead, expect Yibin and Sichuan to push even harder into solid-state batteries, energy storage, and cross-sector electrification, while automakers such as MG translate those supply-chain advances into more aggressive product strategies. For global competitors, the message is clear: China’s EV race is no longer only about selling more cars—it is about controlling the battery technologies, industrial ecosystems, and commercialization pathways that define the next decade.