Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), the world’s largest electric vehicle battery maker, has unveiled a new battery technology intended to deliver both ultra-fast charging and a service life comparable to that of an electric vehicle.
The company said the new 5C battery can be charged in about 12 minutes while maintaining at least 80% of its original capacity over what it describes as the effective lifetime of the vehicle. The launch builds on CATL’s earlier 4C Shenxing battery, which reduced charging times to around 15 minutes, and highlights accelerating competition among Chinese manufacturers to push charging speeds beyond current industry norms.
CATL said the battery is engineered to withstand about 1,400 full charge-discharge cycles at 5C charging speeds in temperatures reaching 60 degrees Celsius, and up to 3,000 cycles under milder conditions. Based on its calculations, this would allow an electric vehicle with an average range of 600 km to travel more than 1.8 million km before battery capacity declines to 80%.
To achieve this performance, CATL said it addressed several durability challenges associated with fast charging. The company cited the use of self-repairing electrodes to limit degradation, more uniform cathode coatings to reduce cracking, and modified separators to manage ion activity at higher temperatures and lower the risk of thermal issues.
See also: BYD Extends Battery Warranty As it Pushes Growth and Expansion in Europe
CATL also said it redesigned the battery pack to improve thermal management by directing cooling more precisely to high-stress areas, which it said significantly improves overall lifespan under demanding charging conditions.
The company has not disclosed which automakers will adopt the new battery first, but it recently reached an agreement with NIO to develop long-life battery solutions. CATL and NIO are also working toward an industry proposal that would include extended battery warranties, a move that could support the growth of the used electric vehicle market by easing concerns over battery longevity.