Chinese battery manufacturing giant and Tesla partner CATL has unveiled the third generation of its cell-to-pack (CTP) battery technology which the company claims can deliver “1,000 km in a breeze”, and boasts fast charging in 10 minutes.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., better known in Western circles as CATL, last weeek announced the launch of its latest EV battery, the Qilin, which the company claims has a “record-breaking” volume utilisation efficiency of 72% and an energy density of up to 255 Wh/kg – achieving “the highest integration level worldwide so far”.
It is capable of delivering a range of 1,000 kilometres, and the Qilin battery – named after a legendary creature in Chinese mythology – supposedly offers breakthroughs in the core process, algorithm, and materials.
As CATL’s third-generation CTP battery, Qilin incorporates liquid cooling to increase the heat transfer area by four times, cutting thermal control time in half and supporting a hot start in 5 minutes and fast charging in 10 minutes.
This cooling structure also allows the cell to rapidly cool down in extreme circumstances, helping to prevent abnormal thermal conduction among the cells and achieving thermal stability and safety for all the battery’s chemical systems, making it compatible with materials with higher energy density.
Or, to put it another way, the Qilin battery is safer and more durable than many existing battery cells.
The Qilin is also 13% more powerful than Tesla’s upcoming new 4680 battery technology, and has the longest range offered by any mainstream manufacturer yet.
Expected to begin mass production and reach the market in 2023, Qilin has already racked up its first customers, with Chinese electric vehicle start-ups Li Auto and Hozon New Energy Automobile already signing on to purchase the battery for its vehicles.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.