CATL held its Super Technology Day in Beijing, and if you care about EVs at all, this one is worth paying attention to. As reported by PR Newswire, the company unveiled several new battery technologies, and the headline act is the third-generation Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery.
The numbers are pretty incredible. Charging from 10% to 80% takes 3 minutes and 44 seconds. Charging from 10% to 98% takes 6 minutes and 27 seconds. Even at minus 30 degrees Celsius, the battery can charge from 20% to 98% in about 9 minutes.
For context, that is faster than BYD’s blade battery and Geely’s fast charging technologies. Hell, most people take more time to fill a gas tank and grab a snack than this battery needs to charge.
CATL is also promising that the battery will retain over 90% of its capacity after 1,000 full charging cycles, which addresses the usual trade-off between fast charging and battery longevity.
What else did CATL announce?
CATL did not stop at one announcement. The third-generation Qilin battery targets premium EVs with a cell energy density of 280 Wh/kg and a claimed range of 1,000 km. That should remove any range anxiety EV owners experience.
The entire battery pack weighs 625 kg, which is 255 kg lighter than comparable systems. According to the company, the weight reduction alone improves braking distance, acceleration, and even tyre life by over 30%.
For hybrid drivers, the second-generation Freevoy Super Hybrid battery extends pure electric range to up to 600 km, with total vehicle range exceeding 2,000 km. And for those in extreme climates, the new Naxtra Sodium-ion battery is finally moving into large-scale production by the end of 2026.
What does this mean for you?
Charging and range anxiety have always been the biggest arguments against switching to an EV. CATL is making it increasingly harder to use that excuse. With fast-charging times approaching gas-station speeds and batteries that can go 1,000 kilometers on a single charge and handle extreme cold, the gap between EVs and traditional cars is getting smaller fast.
CATL plans to build 4,000 integrated charge and swap stations across China by the end of 2026. China has come to the forefront of EV technology advancements, and it’s no wonder US customers want access to their cars.