South Korean media: CATL has made a big move, "5-minute charging, 520 kilometers of range"!
On April 25, South Korean media The Herald Economy published an article stating that the world's largest electric vehicle battery company, China's CATL, has unveiled its new generation of battery technology, launching a new sodium-ion battery with performance similar to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, as well as a battery that can travel 520 kilometers after 5 minutes of charging.
CATL announced at the "Technology Day" event held in Shanghai before the opening of the Shanghai Auto Show that the commercial preparation for its second-generation sodium-ion battery "Naxtra" has been completed, and mass production is expected to begin in the second half of the year.
Naxtra is the second-generation product after CATL's first-generation sodium-ion battery launched in 2021.
The energy density is 175Wh per kilogram, similar to LFP batteries, with a range of approximately 500 kilometers. It can maintain over 90% of its charge even at minus 40 degrees Celsius without significant power loss.
CATL plans to start production of Naxtra for heavy-duty vehicle starter batteries in June and mass-produce large-scale batteries for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles in December.
Sodium-ion batteries use abundant sodium on Earth as raw material, featuring low cost, high electrochemical stability, low fire risk, and no significant performance degradation even in low temperatures. Its environmental impact is also minimal.
However, it is considered to have drawbacks such as low energy density, long charging time, and short battery life, resulting in a relatively shorter range compared to its weight.
CATL Chairman Zeng Yubing said, "Sodium-ion batteries have left the laboratory and are ready for large-scale commercial production. It is expected to replace half of the LFP battery market in the future."
CATL also launched the "Shenxing" second-generation battery, significantly improving charging speed.
The "Shenxing" second-generation battery has a range of up to 800 kilometers and can travel 520 kilometers after 5 minutes of charging. In addition, CATL introduced that even in cold weather, 80% of the charge can be achieved within 15 minutes.
In particular, the charging speed exceeds that of its competitor BYD. Last month, BYD launched a fast-charging system capable of "5-minute charging, 470 kilometers of range".
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830361253598208/
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