CATL expects the battery to enter production by the end of 2023, with commercial availability by early 2024. Credit: Robert Way via Shutterstock.

Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has announced the launch of a new, fast-charging lithium iron phosphate (LFP) electronic vehicle (EV) battery. The company expects mass production of the battery to begin by the end of 2024.

The Shenxing superfast charging battery, designed for large-scale commercial consumption, will enable an EV to travel 400km from a ten-minute charge. It is the world’s first LFP battery with 4C superfast charging, meaning charging at a current of 12A above the diffusion limiting current.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The battery works over a wide temperature range, enabling a 0–80% charge in 30 minutes in temperatures as low as -10°C.

The company has employed fully crystalised LFP cathode material to accelerate the extraction of lithium ions from the cathode by extending the range of the electronic network.

Elsewhere, the graphite surface area of the anode has been coated with a porous layer that modifies the graphite’s properties, increase the number of pathways for ions to travel, thus expediting current conduction and speeding up charging.

CATL’s Gao Huan, CTO of its China EV business, stated: “While the superfast charging may currently be an option for high-end electric vehicles, we hope that through continuous efforts to improve technology and reduce costs Shenxing will become a standard product for every electric vehicle.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The battery announcement is a boost to the Chinese company, which has faced criticism internationally in recent months. In July, US congressional representatives Mike Gallagher and Jason Smith penned a letter to US auto-manufacturer Ford, querying its relationship with CATL. The letter alleged that CATL was aligned with the Chinese Communist Party and linked with companies that benefit from forced labour to produce lithium. The representatives also called on Ford to end its relationship with CATL, owing to an increasing EV production standoff between the US and China.

Ford is set to utilise CATL technology in the construction of its new $3.5bn battery plant in the US.