Chinese giant CATL could revolutionize electric car batteries sooner than expected

The arrival of solid-state batteries on the market promises to be an important step for the electric vehicle industry. CATL, the largest manufacturer in the world, is investing massively to deploy these new technologies as quickly as possible. 20 Ah samples have entered the experimental production phase.

A good number of motorists are still waiting for electric cars to gain autonomy before taking the plunge. The arrival of solid-state batteries suggests bright prospects. These packs have many advantages over lithium-ion technologies. The solid compound helps reduce weight, performance variations depending on temperature, and the risk of overheating.

Soon large-scale production of solid-state batteries?

But above all, it seems possible to increase the autonomy of electric vehicles thanks to greater energy density. The battery giant CATL is therefore obviously banking on it. In a recent article from LatePostwe learn that the company has even entered a final phase of experimental production. Concretely, this means that solid-state batteries could arrive on the market sooner than expected.

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To accelerate research and maintain control in the field of batteries, CATL recruited 1,000 new employees this year in its R&D department. Our colleagues affirm that the Chinese are now focusing on this final phase, with a view to launching large-scale production. The solution developed by the company offers an energy density of 500 Wh/kg, or 40% more than current batteries.

Still a few issues to resolve

However, the charging speed and battery life do not quite live up to the Chinese firm’s expectations. Once these issues are resolved, CATL will also face manufacturing hurdles. New dedicated lines will certainly be necessary to produce solid-state batteries. On this point, the company will probably not have difficulty finding the necessary resources.

Over the first 9 months of the year, CATL dominated the global electric car battery market with a 36.7% share. BYD, another Chinese manufacturer, is second with 16.4%. The automaker also plans to launch solid-state batteries. Like Toyota, Mercedes or Stellantis. No doubt: solid-state batteries will allow the industry to move into a new era.