China's CATL Says It Has Overtaken BYD On 5-Minute EV Charging Time

CATL has unveiled a second-generation Shenxing battery capable of delivering a 520km range in just five minutes of charging, surpassing BYD's recent breakthrough and positioning both Chinese firms ahead of Western rivals in EV battery tech. The battery manufacturer also introduced a sodium-ion battery called Naxtra, offering up to 500km range for EVs and potential to diversify global energy resources. The Financial Times reports: The claims by the Chinese battery groups would put them ahead of major western rivals. At present, Tesla vehicles can be charged up to 200 miles (321km) in added range in 15 minutes, while Germany's Mercedes-Benz recently launched its all-electric CLA compact sedan, which can be charged for up to 325km within 10 minutes using a fast-charging station. The second generation of the Shenxing battery, which boasts a range of 800km on one charge, can achieve a peak charging speed of 2.5km per second, the company said at a media event ahead of this week's Shanghai auto show.

'We look forward to collaborating with more industry leaders to push the limits of supercharging through true innovation,' said CATL's chief technology officer Gao Huan, adding that he wanted the new batteries to become 'the standard for electric vehicles.' Analysts at Bernstein said the latest progress meant that charging speeds had more than doubled in the past year and 'increased tenfold over the past 3-4 years.' Huan said the new Shenxing battery would be installed in more than 67 EV models this year. He later told reporters that energy density would not be sacrificed as a trade-off for fast charging.

During its tech day, CATL also unveiled its new sodium-ion battery, which it said would go into mass production in December. The battery brand called Naxtra is able to give a range of about 200km for a hybrid vehicle and 500km for an electric vehicle, according to Huan. At the event, Huan claimed the new sodium-ion battery would enable the industry's shift from 'single resource dependence' to 'energy freedom' and reshape the global energy landscape. He added that he was in discussions with several companies about using sodium-ion batteries in their vehicles.

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