CATL ShenXing Superfast Charging Battery Recovers 400 Km (249 Mi) of Range in 10 Minutes

According to Gao Huan, CTO of CATL's China E-Car Business, the company chose the ShenXing name for its new batteries because it is an ancient phrase that praises speed. The Chinese cell maker said it is the first LFP battery that can support 4C charging. Considering 1C means a full charge in one hour, that means it can take a full charge in 15 minutes. The battery giant said it could recover 400 kilometers (249 miles) of range in only 10 minutes, almost matching the numbers of the first battery pack to use the ShenXing. According to CATL, it will deliver 700 km (435 mi) of range. If it can fully charge in 15 minutes, it should recover 467 km in 10 minutes.

The world's largest battery manufacturer has ambitious plans for the ShenXing cells. Despite its lead, BYD is the world's largest LFP cell producer, which has to do with its focus on the chemistry for its Blade Batteries. Considering CATL does not make cars, it has to convince customers like Tesla that the ShenXing batteries are a better solution for affordable battery electric vehicles. It should not have any trouble doing that.

CATL's presentation followed an interesting dynamic. CATL's chief scientist Wu Kai mentioned the Diffusion of Innovation Theory that Everett Rogers conceived in 1962. According to it, 2.5% of the population is comprised of innovators and 13.5% of early adopters. When these 16% eventually adopt new technology, we are left with waiting for an early majority (34%) and a late majority (34%) to do the same. In China, new energy vehicles (NEVs) reached a market share of 25% in 2022. In other words, it is in the most crucial phase of NEV adoption. As Axios wrote a while ago, the early adopter phase is over – at least in China, mind you.

Despite that, CATL presented interviews with NEV drivers in China, and all of them complained about the time they usually waste charging their vehicles. At the same time, they said they could not afford fast-charging NEVs because they were too expensive. The company's answer to that is the ShenXing cell, which is supposed to cost little compared to ternary batteries.

BYD had already perceived that need. Its Blade Batteries can recover 150 km (93.2 miles) of range in only 5 minutes because they work at 800V. That means they can theoretically reach 300 km (186 mi) in 10 minutes, or 25% less range than the ShenXing cells. CATL did not disclose at which voltage its new batteries can work, but 800V is a safe bet. The video embedded below mentions 800 something in Chinese, but that's an error. Huan was talking about 400 km in 10 minutes, and the Chinese subtitles said 800 km instead of 400 km. It is either a mistake or a Freudian slip.

If you think about it, CATL is trying to offer carmakers the same option BYD has for its own vehicles and which led it to beat Volkswagen in China this year. Although BYD also sells Blade Batteries to other companies, CATL is possibly a more neutral supplier option. With superior performance, buying the ShenXing for affordable vehicles may become a no-brainer, especially if it can really deliver 700 km of range.

CATL also said that the ShenXing batteries charge from naught to 80% in 30 minutes at -10ºC (14ºF). These outstanding results were achieved with four improvements, all of them related to making lithium ions travel easier inside the ShenXing cells. The first is a "fully nano-crystalized LFP material creates a super electronic network extending in all directions." The next one is the second generation of the Fast Ion Ring Graphite Technology, "which creates an expressway for current conduction," thanks to a change in graphite surface. The world's largest cell manufacturer also created a new electrolyte and a more porous separator.

The Chinese battery maker is so confident with its quality control processes that it said the ShenXing cells issues are now evaluated in parts-per-billion (PPB) instead of in parts-per-million (PPM). Mass production will start by the end of 2023, and the first vehicle equipped with the fast-charging cell will arrive in the first quarter of next year. Although CATL does not manufacture cars, it has a long client list. Changan, Chery, GAC, Geely, Great Wall Motors, Huawei, and Neta Auto took part in the ShenXing battery presentation to welcome the new cells. Any of them could be the first one to sell a car with ShenXing batteries, but ZEEKR may be in the lead for that. After all, this Geely brand was the first to have the Qilin battery pack. We'll confirm that in a few months.