520km after 5 minutes charging? CATL races ahead of competition
China’s CATL, the world’s largest EV battery maker, also announced its sodium-ion cell battery, Naxtra, was ready for commercialization and unveiled new dual-power batteries that can go for 1,500km on a single charge.
CATL has unveiled upgraded batteries that it says offer faster charging for electric vehicles than its rival BYD, as the two Chinese battery giants race ahead of global competitors in manufacturing cutting-edge batteries.
A new version of CATL’s flagship Shenxing battery offers a 520km range from just 5 minutes of charging, the world’s largest electric vehicle battery maker said, according to a report by the Financial Times. The fast-charging battery also boasts an 800-kilometre driving range.
Just last month, BYD introduced a charging system offering a range of about 470km after 5 minutes charging. In comparison, Tesla vehicles can be charged up to 320km in 15 minutes.
“We look forward to collaborating with more industry leaders to push the limits of supercharging through true innovation,” said CATL’s chief technology officer Gao Huan.
CATL produces about a third of the world’s electric car batteries and its customers include some of the world’s biggest automakers including General Motors.
This was just one of the several breakthroughs CATL announced.
The Chinese company also launched a new sodium-ion battery it says will restructure the EV industry. Sodium-ion batteries are considered a less expensive and safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries.
CATL announced its sodium-ion cell battery, Naxtra, is ready for commercialization. Naxtra promises to give hybrid vehicles a range of 200km and 500km for a fully electric vehicle.
“We will achieve mass production by the end of the year. It will restructure the whole industry,” CATL’s chief marketing officer Luo Jian said.
Another significant announcement by CATL was regarding auxiliary batteries, which would be in the underbody of cars. Typically, there is space for only one large battery in the underbody.
CATL has reportedly achieved this breakthrough by not using graphite as one of the battery poles.
Auxiliary batteries without graphite would be available in electric vehicles in two to three years, or even sooner, a CATL executive said, as reported by The New York Times.
The dual-power batteries can go for as much as 1,500km on a single charge using a regular fast-charging battery cell with an auxiliary cell on the side, CATL said.
