Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) has unveiled a new version of its Shenxing battery, capable of providing 520 kilometres of range after only five minutes of charging. The announcement was made during a live-streamed event from Shanghai as part of the company’s ‘Tech Day’.
According to Robin Zeng, CEO and Chairman of CATL, this technology offers superior performance compared to that of BYD, which enables a 400-kilometre recharge in the same amount of time.
CATL batteries are used in models from a wide range of electric vehicle manufacturers. Tesla is among its main clients, and the company also holds a technology licensing agreement with Ford Motor.
Based on data from SNE Research for the first two months of the year, CATL holds a 38.2% share of the electric vehicle battery market. Its closest competitor, BYD, accounts for 16.9%.
Advances in sodium-ion batteries and new developments
During the event, CATL also presented its sodium-ion cell called Naxtra, which is now ready for commercial use. This technology has been tested under extreme conditions, including exposure to -40°C temperatures and fire, without any loss in performance, according to the company.
The Naxtra cell can provide up to 200 kilometres of range for hybrid vehicles, and up to 500 kilometres for fully electric vehicles.
Sodium-ion batteries offer benefits such as higher cost-efficiency due to the abundance and lower price of sodium compared to lithium. Additionally, they offer greater safety and stability, as sodium is less reactive, reducing the risk of fire.
CATL also introduced a new range of dual-power batteries with various chemical compositions and energy densities, which, according to the company, can provide driving ranges of up to 1,000 kilometres.
