“Shenxing’ cells will usher in an era of super-fast charging for electric vehicles,” CATL, the largest Chinese battery maker, proudly announces. Overall, the battery has a per charge range of 700 kms and hence will be fully charged within 20 minutes. Mass production of the innovative lithium iron phosphate cells is due to begin this year and will be available from spring 2024.
The fast charging times are particularly impressive internationally: US rival Tesla says it can charge up to 275 kilometers in under 15 minutes with its Supercharger in the Model 3. This huge difference will further increase China’s already firmly established dominance in the battery market for electric cars. CATL itself is also expanding: Last December, the company in Thuringia started its first production outside the People’s Republic.
