CATL's New Battery Boosts Range by 400km in Just 10 Minutes

author: FutureCar Staff    

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. The new battery, named Shenxing or "god-like movement," has the capability to charge up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) of range in just 10 minutes. Gao Han, the chief technology officer of CATL's e-car division, made this announcement during a launch briefing on Wednesday.

This means that vehicles powered by Shenxing can travel from New York to Boston, a distance of approximately 215 miles, after just 10 minutes of fast charging. The battery is expected to enter mass production by the end of 2023 and shipping is set to commence in 2024.

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

China is a strong advocate for LFP technology, which is spearheaded by CATL, its renewable energy leader. In the first quarter, CATL held a 35% share of the global EV battery market, making it the top player, 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 EV boom in China over the past few years. However, the EV industry is now slowing down due to reduced government subsidies and a decrease in consumption as a result of the post-COVID economic downturn. Additionally, CATL faces fierce competition from BYD, the Chinese EV giant that also produces its own batteries. In the first quarter, BYD held the second position in the global EV battery market with a 16.2% share.

FutureCar Staff