TECHNOOGY: China’s CATL Debuts EV Battery With Speedy Six-Minute Recharge and a 1,000-km Range

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the world’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, unveiled a new fast-charging technology ahead of the Beijing auto show in a bid to stay ahead of BYD Co. Ltd. and other competitors.

The Ningde-based company, better known as CATL, showcased its latest “Shenxing” lithium-iron-phosphate battery that recharges from 10 per cent power to 98 per cent in just six minutes — a development that brings EV charging closer to the speed of filling up the tank of a gasoline vehicle.

“We always deliver what we promise,” Gao Huan, the company’s chief technology officer, told reporters Tuesday at an event in Beijing.

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CATL’s newest LFP battery is capable of recharging from 10 per cent power to 35 per cent as quickly as one minute, but it said those time frames assume moderate temperature environments. Still, the breakthrough appears to exceed a nine-minute EV battery charge touted just last month by BYD.

The battery maker cited additional achievements, including a nickel-cobalt-manganese battery designed to provide 1,000 kilometres of range on a single charge, and an even more ambitious condensed-matter battery that offers a maximum range of 1,500 kilometres for a sedan, setting a new benchmark for premium models.

The ability to travel greater distances on a single charge may help speed EV adoption by reducing so-called range anxiety, especially where charging infrastructure is limited.

Chief scientist Wu Kai said CATL’s “multi-chemical” approach to batteries is designed to provide a tailored solution for every tier of the market, from budget-friendly urban runabouts to ultra-luxury cruisers and heavy-duty trucks. Diversifying its chemistry is expected to help CATL hedge against volatile price swings of raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt.

“A complex world demands a variety of solutions,” Wu said. “New energy vehicles should be accessible to everyone rather than just a few.”

With assistance from Nicholas Takahashi.