Chinese manufacturer CATL announced the development of a battery capable of allowing an electric vehicle to travel up to 1,500 kilometers on a single charge.
The new version of the battery Qilin, capable of traveling 1,500 kilometers on a single chargesignificantly surpasses the autonomy of the previous generation, which reached around a thousand kilometers, according to the company, which also presented improvements in charging speed.
A CATL also revealed a battery upgrade Shenxingcapable of charging from 10% to 98% in six and a half minutes, an improvement over the 15 minutes needed in the previous version to charge from 5% to 80%.
The announced performance overtake that of the latest Blade battery from the Chinese company BYDintroduced in March, which needs about nine minutes to charge from 10% to 97%.
The two Chinese companies, which together represent more than half of the global electric vehicle battery market, have accelerated investment in research and development, focusing on cell chemistry and manufacturing processes.
“The limit of electrochemistry is still far from being reached and the possibilities of materials science are far from being exhausted,” said CATL founder Robin Zeng Yuqunduring a presentation in Beijing.
According to the company, technological advances aim to respond to persistent consumer concerns, such as tempo charging, the autonomy on long journeys and performance in extreme driving conditions temperature.
The sharp reduction in battery costs, combined with the rapid technological progress of companies such as CATL and BYD, is also reinforcing the China’s dominant position in this strategic sectoressential for both electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
CATL also announced plans to reinforce investment in charging and battery exchange infrastructure, in line with the objectives of the Chinese Government.
The company plans to build up to 100 thousand charging stations and changing batteries until 2028in partnership with Chinese car manufacturers, and better integrate these infrastructures into the country’s electrical system.
Among other initiatives, CATL indicated that it intends to start in 2026 the mass production of sodium ion batteriesa technology that could , cobalt and nickel.
The announcements were made ahead of the Beijing motor show, where around 1,400 new vehicle models are expected to be presented.
Chinese cars reverse roles compared to Europe
Chinese car brands are entering Europe without complexessupported by technology that Europeans are now trying to replicate, in an unexpected role reversal.
Largely unknown in Europe three years ago, brands such as BYD, MG, Chery, Geely, Leapmotor, Jaecoo and Xpeng together achieved 9% of sales in Europe in March, and even 14% in the electric vehicle segment, according to consultancy Dataforce – double compared to the previous year.
Some models are already among the best-selling in countries such as Italy, Spain or the United Kingdom.
Your success is shaking European builders weakened by a falling domestic market since 2019and surprised by the European Union’s plan to reach 90% electric cars by 2035.
In contrast, the European policy ended up benefiting Chinese manufacturersmuch more advanced in the electricity sector and supported by the State in their markets of origin.
“Europe, one of the world’s few major markets, is a natural destination for Chinese car manufacturers. The EU’s electric car plan was practically made for them, opening the European market to them in a very short time”, he summarized Jamel Taganzahead of the Inovev consultancy, cited by AFP.
A export is even more necessary for these manufacturers than for Europeans, given the excess capacity: Chinese factories operate at around 50% of their potential, compared to around 60% in Europe, he highlighted to the same agency, Alexandre Mariananalyst at AlixPartners.
“The strengths of Chinese builders are not limited to labor costs, they also include innovation”, he said, in turn, Michael Foundoukidisautomotive analyst at Oddo.
“In China, today they offer vehicles twice as efficient for half price” compared to Europeans, he explained.
The next step is to produce locally. “All builders consider that, in order to establish themselves in a market, it is simpler to produce locally, avoiding customs fees and logistical problems”, he further stated. Lionel French Keoghcommercial director of Chery in France, which intends to manufacture a small urban electric vehicle in Europe.
“If they want to sustainably surpass 10% market share in Europe, will have no choice but to assemble vehicles on the continent”, added the Oddo analyst.
The customs barriers imposed by the European Union in 2024 on imported electric vehicles reinforce this trend.
BYD will open a factory in Hungary. Leapmotor, a Stellantis partner, plans to produce two models at a group factory in Zaragoza, Spain.
According to the press, Stellantis is also considering producing Leapmotor models under the Opel brand in Spain. Xpeng assembles vehicles in Austria.
To respond, European manufacturers are adopting the Chinese strategy of the 2000s: learning from the competitor through partnerships. Examples include Stellantis with Leapmotor and Volkswagen with Xpeng, which launched a first joint electric model for the Chinese market. Another case is Renault, which teamed up with Geely in the development of thermal and hybrid engines.
