A five-minute charge adds about 515km, says CATL

EV battery producer China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL has unveiled an upgraded battery it says can add nearly 515km range in five minutes of charging.

CATL says that’s a longer range than rival BYD’s offering, says CNN.

BYD and CATL say they have batteries that can charge EVs within five minutes, CATL recently announcing its new Shenxing battery has nearly 515km range.

“Once again, we are pushing the boundaries of performance beyond limits,” CATL chief technology officer Gao Huan says.

“Our goal is to make the CATL Shenxing supercharging battery the standard for electric vehicles, bringing users a more convenient and freer travel experience.”

The upgraded Shenxing with more than 800km battery capacity was launched alongside a new sodium-ion battery called Naxtra, which CATL says is a more affordable and safer alternative to lithium and lead-acid based batteries.

CATL supplies a wide range of automotive brands including Ford, Tesla, BMW, and Volkswagen.

It reckons that by late 2024 its batteries were used in one of every three EVs globally powering about 17 million vehicles.

Huan says the new Shenxing battery could power more than 67 EV models this year, adding the battery performs well in very cold weather.

The Naxtra battery is expected to start mass production at the end of 2025, provide nearly 500km range, lower production costs, operate in extreme weather conditions and is less prone than traditional lithium batteries to fire and explosion risks after collisions, says CATL.

Tariffs on China and automobiles from US President Donald Trump are expected to have a minimal impact on CATL as its American business accounts for a small portion of its total shipments, according to the China Securities Journal.

CATL’s inaugural Super Tech Day also included a third battery the Freevoy Dual-Power Battery and an integrated 24Volt start/stop Naxtra battery for heavy-duty trucks.

The Freevoy Dual-Power Battery introduces a pioneering cross-chemistry system design, says PR Newswire.