Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., recognised as the largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer globally, introduced a new fast-charging technology prior to the Beijing auto show to maintain its competitive edge over BYD Co. and other rivals.
The company, based in Ningde and commonly referred to as CATL, presented its newest “Shenxing” lithium-iron-phosphate battery, which can recharge from 10% to 98% in merely six minutes.
This advancement brings electric vehicle (EV) battery charging closer to the speed of refueling a gasoline vehicle.
Testing has revealed that after 1,000 complete cycles, the capacity retention of the Superfast Charging Battery remains above 90 percent, achieving what CATL aspires to be “an optimal balance between extreme superfast charging and ultra-long service life.”
The third-generation battery now features charging capabilities from 10 percent to 35 percent in one minute, from 10 to 80 percent in three minutes and 44 seconds and from 10 to 90 percent in six minutes and 27 seconds. Notably, even in extreme cold conditions of −30°C, charging from 20 to 98 percent takes only nine minutes.
“By combining battery self-heating technology with a fully integrated supercharging and battery-swapping network, the system is designed to enable low-temperature superfast charging that is not limited by charging piles offering both fast charging and battery swapping,” CATL stated.
CATL introduces battery for long-range EVs
Also advancing to its third generation is CATL’s Qilin Battery, which features an LFP chemistry specifically engineered for long-range electric vehicles.
This battery now boasts a cell energy density of 280 Wh/kg, allowing for driving ranges of up to 1,000 km while also accommodating 10C superfast charging.
Additionally, it can deliver a peak power of 3 MW, which is double the output of the previous Qilin track battery, and weighs only 625 kilograms resulting in a weight reduction of 255 kg compared to similar LFP systems and providing space savings of 112 liters.
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