CATL’s new EV battery blows BYD’s speediest-charging cells out of the water

CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, previewed several breakthroughs in electric vehicle battery tech that is sure to wow EV makers across the world — even if the tech never makes it to the US.

The company teased the innovations at an event in Shanghai timed to precede the city’s auto show. According to local reports, CATL presented three new announcements designed to shake-up the battery world.

The first was an upgraded version of its Shenxing battery designed to add more range when fast charging. CATL said the battery can now offer 520 kilometers (323 miles) of range from just five minutes of charging time — a marked improvement over BYD’s promise to add 400km (249 miles) of range in the same amount of time.

CATL said its system could provide a maximum charging speed of 1.3 megawatts. Even at -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit), when charging speeds tend to slow to a crawl, CATL’s Shenxing battery can go from 5 percent to 80 percent in just 15 minutes.

Another major announcement was the reveal of a new sodium-ion battery called Naxtra. According to Bloomberg, the new cells are already ready for commercialization and have been tested in a number of extreme settings, including very cold and hot temperatures. The new batteries are promised to delivery around 200km of range for hybrid vehicles, and 500km for an EV.

Sodium is seen by some as an improvement over lithium, both in terms of availability and stability. The material is more cost effective to obtain and isn’t subject to the same safety hazards as lithium, which can catch fire under certain circumstances. CATL believes that sodium-ion batteries could potentially replace up to half the market for lithium iron phosphate batteries that now dominates the field.

CATL also unveiled a new dual-power battery that can offer a maximum range of 1,500km (932 miles) on a single charge. The company likened the super-powered battery to a dual engine aircraft, with a regular fast-charging cell combined with a separate auxiliary pack for enhanced performance and range.

But thanks to President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, US residents are unlikely to see any of these benefits anytime soon. CATL’s batteries are found in a wide range of EVs, including Tesla and Ford. And while the company could license its tech to American automakers, rising tensions are likely to make it difficult in the near term.

China has recently halted export of rare earth minerals and magnets, and seems likely to want to keep all the best innovations to itself as the US walls itself off from the rest of the world. And the US Department of Defense has recently added CATL to its list of Chinese military companies, which could make it more difficult for the company to do business in the US.