Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🔋 Tesla supplier CATL unveils Shenxing battery with potential to charge 250 miles in 10 minutes.
- 🚗 The battery addresses electric vehicle range weakness and aims to add 400 km in 10 minutes.
- 🌐 Known as the world’s first 4C superfast charging LFP battery, it’s designed for affordability and stability.
- ⚡ LFP batteries, while having lower energy density, are used in Tesla’s affordable models and energy storage units.
- 🏭 Mass production of the battery is anticipated by the end of 2023, with deliveries starting in 2024.
- 🛠️ CATL’s battery aligns well with Tesla’s future affordable vehicles from Gigafactory Mexico.
- 🇨🇳 CATL’s battery innovation comes amid challenges in China’s EV industry due to reduced subsidies and economic downturn.
- 📈 CATL faces competition from other EV giants like BYD in both EV and battery production.
Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) has introduced an innovative battery solution that addresses a prominent drawback of electric vehicles.
Named “Shenxing” or “god-like movement,” this battery is projected to provide an impressive range boost of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) within a mere 10-minute charging period. Gao Han, the Chief Technology Officer of CATL’s electric vehicle division, disclosed this capability.
Should vehicles powered by CATL’s Shenxing battery become prevalent, they could embark on a journey comparable to New York to Boston — roughly 215 miles — following a brief 10-minute recharge. This duration aligns closely with the typical stop at a gasoline station.
Shenxing is expected to be “the world’s first 4C superfast charging LFP battery.” LFP batteries are known for their affordable price and chemical stability, but they have lower energy density than other battery chemistries, which could limit EVs’ range.
Despite this, LFP batteries have seen widespread use, thanks in part to companies like Tesla. LFP batteries are used for the electric vehicle maker’s affordable cars, such as the Model 3 RWD in China. The same chemistry is also used in the company’s energy storage units like the Megapack.
Mass production of the next-gen LFP battery is expected around the end of 2023, with deliveries starting in 2024. It remains to be seen if the new CATL battery will be used by key clients like Tesla, though it would be unsurprising if it gets used for future vehicles. Such a battery, after all, would be a good match for Tesla’s affordable next-generation vehicle, which would be produced at Gigafactory Mexico.
CATL’s development of Shenxing comes at a time when the EV industry is facing some challenges in China. Government subsidies for EVs are shrinking, and consumption is contracting amid a post-COVID economic downturn. CATL is also facing competition from rivals such as BYD, an EV giant that also makes batteries.
