CATL unveils high-speed battery with impressive range boost

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【Summary】CATL, a major supplier to Tesla, has unveiled a new battery called Shenxing that can add up to 400km of range in just 10 minutes of charging. The battery, which is set to be mass-produced by the end of 2023, utilizes lithium iron phosphate technology, known for its affordability and stability. This advancement aims to address the charging and range limitations of electric vehicles.

FutureCar Staff Aug 20, 2023 6:53 AM PT

CATL unveils high-speed battery with impressive range boost

CATL, the Chinese battery giant and a major supplier to Tesla, has introduced its latest product aimed at addressing the charging and range limitations of electric vehicles. At a launch briefing on Wednesday, Gao Han, chief technology officer of CATL's e-car division, revealed the battery called Shenxing or "god-like movement," which can provide up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) of range in just 10 minutes of charging.

This means that vehicles powered by Shenxing can travel from New York to Boston (about 215 miles) after only 10 minutes of fast charging. The battery is expected to enter mass production by the end of 2023, with shipping scheduled to begin in 2024.

Shenxing is being touted as the world's first 4C superfast charging LFP battery. LFP stands for lithium iron phosphate, a battery chemistry that Tesla adopted widely in 2021 for its shorter-range cars instead of nickel-cobalt-aluminum.

China has been a strong advocate of LFP technology, led by its renewable energy champion CATL, which held a 35% share of the global EV battery market in Q1, according to research firm SNE. LFP batteries are known for their affordability and chemical stability, although they have a lower energy density compared to other battery chemistries, which affects the range of electric vehicles.

CATL's remarkable growth has been fueled by the electric vehicle boom in China in recent years. However, the EV industry is now slowing down due to reduced government subsidies and decreased consumption in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, CATL faces fierce competition from BYD, the Chinese EV giant that also manufactures its own batteries. In Q1, BYD held the second position in the global EV battery market with a 16.2% share.