.jpg)
.jpg)
You might not have heard of CATL, but you’ll have heard of the brands its electric car batteries are used in: Toyota, Hyundai, Tesla and plenty of others.
Now, an announcement from the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer (CATL stands for Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited) means these brands might soon have electric cars that can travel up to 1500km on a single charge.
Revealed at a CATL ‘Tech Day’ were three new electric car battery technologies covering breakthroughs in range, charging, and temperature efficiency.
A plug-in hybrid with more range than an EV? CATL announces game-changing PHEV battery tech that can deliver up to 400km of electric range, more than electric cars like the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora
New cut-price battery could be a game changer: Electric car battery giant CATL that supplies brands such BMW, Hyundai, Tesla, Xpeng and others working on new sodium-ion battery ideal for small cars
New electric car battery breakthrough debuts: Next-gen batteries from CATL to have longer life and could find their way into utes and vans from Foton, Geely and JAC
The first is what CATL calls the 'Freevoy Dual Power Battery', which is a dual-core battery that it claims can allow up to 1500km of electric range on a single charge thanks to a primary section and a range-extender section of the battery.
According to CATL, the energy density, thermal management and even safety of the battery is superior to previous battery tech, and can be used across different battery chemical types.
“The upgraded version of the product, consisting of an NCM battery and an NCM self-forming anode battery enables a capacity of over 180kWh in sedans with a 3-meter wheelbase, breaking through the 1500-kilometer pure electric range barrier.”
While the 1500km range claim is yet to be put to the test, it would, if accurate, mean you could theoretically drive the 1400km between Adelaide and Sydney without needing to charge.
Even taking into account the lower efficiency of an EV during highway driving, the distance would realistically require some rest stops even in an internal combustion engine (ICE) car, so charging during those still wouldn’t detract from the trip time.
To that extent, CATL also revealed the second-generation version of a battery it calls the 'Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery' which now allows up to 800km range but an impressive charging capacity of more than 1.3 megawatts, or 1300kW.
Generally, a public fast-charging station in Australia will have a maximum charging rate of 350kW, if not less.
CATL says in a press release “it achieves 2.5 kilometres of range per second of charging, virtually eliminating the frustration of waiting”.
It also boasts resistance to the effects of cold weather, which has been a difficult hurdle for electric car batteries in terms of charging and efficiency.
“In low-temperature environments of -10°C, the second-generation Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery can charge from five per cent to 80 per cent SOC in just 15 minutes, 100 per cent faster than the industry's highest current charging level.”
Lastly, the 'Naxtra Battery' promises not only to bring about “the mass production of sodium-ion batteries for the first time”, while reducing the reliance on lithium in EV battery production, but also to be more affordable and much more resistant to temperature changes.
It can provide up to 500km of range, according to CATL, last for more than 10,000 charging cycles and is “capable of performing across the full temperature range from -40°C to +70°C”.
According to a report from Reuters, CATL plans on using its new technology almost immediately, with the Shenxing battery set to power “more than 67 new electric vehicle models” this year and the sodium-ion Naxtra to go into mass production in December.
.jpg)
