CATL put its third-generation Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery at the centre of its latest technology showcase in Beijing, using the event to argue that ultra-fast charging and long battery life do not have to cancel each other out.
The company said the new pack reaches an equivalent 10C capability, with a peak 15C charging rate, and can go from 10% to 80% in 3 minutes 44 seconds. CATL also said capacity retention stays above 90% after 1,000 full cycles.
That was only one part of the show. CATL also rolled out its third-generation Qilin Battery, a new Qilin Condensed Battery, the second-generation Freevoy Super Hybrid Battery, the Naxtra sodium-ion battery, and an integrated charging and battery-swapping network.
The range of battery showcase indicated CATL did not want to bet everything on a single battery chemistry or one replenishment route.
The new Qilin Battery is aimed at premium long-range EVs.
CATL said it reaches 280 Wh/kg cell energy density, supports 10C charging, and can enable 1,000km of range.
The more extreme Qilin Condensed Battery goes further still, with claimed energy density of 350 Wh/kg and enough stored energy for 1,500km in a sedan or more than 1,000km in a large SUV.
For hybrids, CATL’s second-generation Freevoy battery is pitched as a step into the “600km pure-electric era”. The company said the LFP version can deliver up to 500km of EV range, while the NCM version pushes beyond 600km, with total driving range exceeding 2,000km.
Then there is sodium-ion. CATL said its Naxtra battery has now moved from lab breakthrough to GWh-scale industrialisation, with full-scale mass production due by the end of 2026.
CATL did not stop at the batteries themselves. It also laid out a much bigger charging and swapping plan.
CATL said it plans to build 4,000 integrated charge-swap stations by the end of 2026 across nearly 190 cities, while its Choco-Swap network already has 1,470 stations in 99 cities.
It was not just showing new batteries here. CATL was also talking up the charging and swapping network it wants to build around them.
