CATL opens first North American base

The company has established partnerships with several US-based businesses that will release products into the market very soon. The new Detroit base is the fourth international site to be opened by CATL and follows the opening of the company's Japan subsidiary in May. CATL currently supplies the North American market with core battery technologies for EVs and energy storage solutions. The new CATL facility in Detroit will allow the company to improve the supply of lithium-ion batteries to the US auto market and to support the expansion of EV manufacturing, a press release reads. "2017 was the best year yet for EV sales in the US and around the world," said Allan Wang, General Manager, North America at CATL. "Recent surges in demand require greater innovation in the manufacture and supply of parts and services to support vehicle electrification. Our new Detroit subsidiary, our first in North America, will allow us to serve local needs. By locating close to our customers, we will be able to better understand their needs and improve our global supply chain." The Company has entered a series of partnership agreements with several major car manufacturers including BMW, Volkswagen, Daimler, and Jaguar Land Rover. In May 2018 the McKinsey Electric Vehicle Index reported that global sales of new EVs had surpassed 1 million units for the first time in 2017. In the US, this represented a rise in fully electric car sales of 47%. According to forecasts published by Energy Innovation, EVs will make up to 65% of new light-duty vehicle sales by 2050, with EV sales reaching up to 75% by 2050.