Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. LTD, or CATL, is a giant battery supplier from China that works with Tesla, Ford, and other American brands. Today, it announced a new battery called the Shenxing cell which can charge to a range of 400 km (248 miles) in 10 minutes. It goes into production late this year and joins a number of rival products that charge at similar rates.
Shenxing means “god-like movement”, which seems like it’s a bit too aspirational, but for electric vehicle owners that need a quick charge, it might feel like an answer from the heavens. EV ownership has long been chided as simply not as convenient when it comes to refueling. Having the ability to add nearly 250 miles of range in just ten minutes diminishes the gap between fuel types.
“We hope through continuous efforts to improve technology and reduce costs, Shenxing will become a standard product available for every electric vehicle,” said Gao Han, chief technology officer of CATL’s E-Car Business to Reuters. Tesla, the clear leader in electric vehicles, is CATL’s largest client but it’s not alone.
More: Cadillac Optiq’s Dual-Motor AWD Version For China Brings The Heat To Tesla Model Y
Ford made waves early this year when it made a deal with CATL for a battery production plant in Michigan. That facility will build lithium iron phosphate batteries with technology licensed from CATL. That’s the same type of battery chemistry in the Shenxing though there’s no word on if the Ford plant will build anything close to it.
It’s worth noting that the charging speed of the Shenxing might not be as ground-breaking as it sounds, at least when compared to other options. Some Tesla models already charge up to 322 km (200 miles) in as little as 15 minutes and Bloomberg reports that Chinese company GAC AION already has a battery that adds 500 km (310 miles) of range in 15 minutes.
Combine this news with Toyota’s claims from earlier in the year that it’s successfully created a solid-state battery and it looks like we’re on the verge of a major step forward for EV ownership.
