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CATL has announced an upgraded battery cell that claims to be able to charge electric vehicles faster than its rival BYD, and will overcome a major barrier to transitioning from gasoline vehicles by placing two Chinese groups ahead of their competitors in the race.
The world’s largest electric car manufacturer said Monday that the new version of the flagship Schenkling battery cell can offer a range of 520km from just five minutes of charging time.
Last month, BYD shocked the industry by unveiling a charging system that allows it to add a range of approximately 470km to its batteries at about the same time.
Claims by the Chinese battery group would place them ahead of their major western rivals. Currently, Tesla vehicles can charge up to 200 miles (321km) in an additional range in 15 minutes, but German Mercedes-Benz can now charge up to 325km within 10 minutes using fast charging stations.
Analysts say the deployment of fast charging systems from BYD and CATL will help eradicate consumer fears about EV driving ranges despite doubts about how quickly these technologies can be brought outside China, where geopolitical tensions are rising.
The second-generation Schenk battery, which boasts a 800km range on one charge, can achieve peak charging speeds of 2.5km per second, the company said at a media event ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show this week.
Gao Huan, CATL’s Chief Technology Officer, said, adding that he hopes the new batteries will become the “standard for electric vehicles.”
Huan said new Schenk batteries will be installed on EV models over 67 this year. He later told reporters that energy density would not be sacrificed as a trade-off for fast charging.
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During Tech Day, CATL also announced a new sodium-ion battery. The battery brand called Naxtra can offer a range of about 200 km for hybrid vehicles and 500 km for electric vehicles, according to Huan.
Sodium-ion batteries are considered cheaper and safer alternatives than lithium-based batteries that are widely used for energy storage. However, the amount of energy that can be produced compared to its size is long behind lithium batteries, and sodium cells have been unrealistic up until now.
As sodium-ion batteries do not use lithium resources, new technologies are also closely monitored as a potential solution to reduce the world’s dependence on China on critical minerals.
At the event, Huan argued that the new sodium-ion batteries will allow the industry to move from “single resource dependence” to “energy freedom” and will rebuild the world’s energy environment.
He added that he has been discussing with several companies about using sodium ion batteries in vehicles.
