CATL, the EV battery giant, has unveiled its new mission - PingWest

CATL, the EV battery giant, has unveiled its new mission

CATL, the EV battery giant, has unveiled its new mission

chen

posted on August 26, 2023 11:08 pm

In the past, CATL's relationship with the market and its consumers resembled that of a power battery concealed within a vehicle's frame: it was invisible and inaccessible.

Editor's note: This article is an English translation of the original Chinese post titled 走进宁德时代：褪去神秘感，这家巨头的新使命 by Nan Dong published on PingWest Chinese site.

CATLThe City of Ningde is located in northern Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian. It is surrounded by mountains and faces the ocean; it has deep ports but no hinterland. Ningde is surrounded by numerous valleys and tidal plains and is located approximately 100 kilometres from Fuzhou. Historically, the city's GDP ranking was near the bottom of Fujian Province due to its resemblance to an underdeveloped rural area rather than a coastal metropolis.

In recent years, Ningde has become surprisingly active.

Dongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone of Ningde is where CATL's headquarters are located (that's also why CATL, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited, is called "Ningde Era" in its Chinese name). It is situated adjacent to Chijian Lake on one side and the Shenhai Motorway on the other. The flow of automotive suppliers and businesses is substantial, but the general public and media's understanding of this area needs improvement.

China's EV industry has exploded over the past decade. And as a result of CATL's introduction of dozens of upstream and downstream companies, Ningde's GDP now rates fifth in Fujian in terms of growth rate.

Unquestionably, technology is at the heart of CATL's transformation.

In addition to technological advancements, the Internet industry has also given rise to a manipulative advertising style. As a core component of EVs that boasts a large industrial scale and incorporates technological innovation, however, EV battery manufacturers must frequently locate users with a deep understanding of the underlying technology. Instead, consumers are concerned with battery longevity and safety.

Throughout CATL's 12-year history, their technological capabilities have not been promoted or disseminated in an ostentatious manner. The 2021 Sodium-ion battery launch lasted only ten minutes, and the 2022 Qilin battery launch lasted only four.

Such a design is inextricably attached to the state of the power battery industry as a whole. Although China's power battery industry is significant on a global scale, brands prioritise a secure development environment over marketing outputs due to high technological barriers and a few monopolies. As the central component of EV, CATL has chosen to maintain a low profile, contributing to the company's aura of mystery with its technological aura.

CATL battery products mounted in a variety of vehicle types

Today, one out of every three electric vehicles sold worldwide is equipped with a battery product from CATL, demonstrating CATL's global market leadership.

Recently, I was able to visit the CATL headquarters and the Jiaocheng Shidai factory in Ningde City. While observing firsthand the technological advancements in the power battery industry, we also perceived a fundamental shift within CATL.

How can "owning" become "excelling"?

The CATL headquarters is called the "Shidai Building," which translates to "Building of the Era." Since its inception 12 years ago, the guiding principle of CATL has been "achieving for customers through innovation." In response to the evolving needs of the new energy automotive industry, they have continuously innovated on the stage of history.

Due to the complexity of lithium battery processes - lengthy manufacturing flow, multiple control points, immense amounts of data, and extremely stringent production environment requirements - the entire battery cell production line is highly automated.

CATL has optimised the production efficiency of the Jiaocheng factory's battery cell production line. Using a high level of automation, they can produce one complete battery cell per second.

Given the complexity of the manufacturing process and product techniques, CATL has independently developed a large number of key technical devices related to manufacturing techniques in order to enhance product performance consistency, ensure constant production efficiency, and diversify data. In addition, they have integrated the prevalent digital twin technology into their R&D process, constructing a multitude of product simulation design models and toolchains to create an intelligent R&D environment.

The CATL R&D team consists of 18,000 research and testing personnel. They test and confirm the stability and safety of the product on a regular basis, adhering to standards that exceed national benchmarks.

This is yet another aspect of CATL that they disclose to the market and their users infrequently: they are not content with merely meeting user needs, but instead strive for continuous improvement.

CATL has consistently looked to incorporate digital and intelligent manufacturing capabilities over the past decade, from introducing the idea of extreme manufacturing in 2020 to establishing one of only two "lighthouse factories" in the global lithium battery industry. All of these efforts have enabled them to dominate the industry's upper half for lithium batteries.

The Qilin Battery on display in the CATL's exhibition hall

How can "owning" become "excelling"?This is the new development proposal that Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, presented at this year's World Power Battery Conference.

According to Zeng Yuqun, the first half of the power battery industry's development can meet market demand; the second half should lead the market.

In the past, as the EV industry developed, our focus was on the colossus itself or on those downstream vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, while the relationship between CATL and both the market and its users was analogous to the power battery concealed within the vehicle's frame: intangible.

A pioneer's first attempt to communicate with users.

Numerous products with innovative technologies are on display in CATL's exhibition venue. These may include materials, material systems, and system structures, as well as manufacturing and business model innovations of an exceptional nature. 

However, CATL had never held a physical product launch event before.

After the release of the ultracharging battery, CATL held its first offline "face-to-face" meeting with the media and the audience.

CATL hosted an offline launch ceremony in Ningde on August 16 to introduce the brand-new Shenxing Ultra-Charging Battery, a mass-production-ready lithium iron phosphate 4C battery. Not only does it boast an ultra-fast charging speed of "10 minutes charging for 400 kilometres of range," but it also provides a more comprehensive solution for 4C batteries when paired with the Qilin Battery.

Display of CATL's Shenxing ultracharging battery

Dr. Wu Kai, CATL's Chief Scientist, spoke at the inaugural event and emphasised the commercial significance of the Shenxing battery: bringing cutting-edge technology to the masses.

The increasing penetration rate of electric vehicles can explain CATL's entry into the ultracharging market. This is not only to meet the increasing demand from users in the current market for faster charging, but also to satisfy the requirements of vehicle manufacturers to implement ultra-charging across all categories of vehicle models based on their cost-effectiveness.

Dr. Wu Kai, CATL's Chief Scientist

Consider the Qilin Battery to be an example. EVs equipped with the Qilin Battery and supporting a 4C charging rate can achieve a range of 1,000 kilometres. This solution could only be afforded by typically high-end models, such as Li Xiang's first all-electric model, which is scheduled for release by the end of the year.

The Shenxing Ultra-Charging Battery was designed to rectify this situation. The cost-effectiveness of this product makes it suitable for penetrating lower market segments, resulting in a battery profile that is economical. Nevertheless, technological advancement remains fundamental to this latest release.

To achieve a 4C supercharging rate with lithium iron phosphate batteries and to resolve low-temperature performance issues, CATL has maximised electrochemical capabilities and implemented extensive material system performance innovations:

The Shenxing Ultra-Charging Battery makes use of a super electron net positive electrode technology and entirely nanosized lithium iron phosphate positive electrode materials to increase the rate of lithium-ion release and ensure a quick response to charging signals.

In terms of negative electrode material innovation, they utilised the most recent incarnation of CATL's rapid-ion ring technology. They modified the graphite surface to increase lithium-ion embedding channels and shorten the embedding distance, enhancing lithium-ion adhesion efficiency and achieving the optimal equilibrium between rapid charging and range.

With a new formulation of ultra-high conductivity electrolyte, the viscosity of the electrolyte is effectively reduced, resulting in a substantial increase in conductivity.

CATL simultaneously improved the high porosity and low tortuosity of the separator, thereby increasing the rate of lithium-ion liquid-phase transmission.

The current range of the new battery design is 700 kilometres, and cell temperature control technology ensures rapid recharge in low-temperature environments. The Shenxing Ultra-Charging Battery will be manufactured in mass quantities by the end of this year, and electric vehicles equipped with it will debut in the first quarter of 2019.

Alongside the mass production of the Shenxing Ultra-Charging Battery, CATL has prioritised the construction of ultra-charging stations.

CATL-designed supercharging mounds

From technology to product to commodity, CATL is accelerating its market-oriented operations.

New objective for the industry giant

Automakers with a focus on the mid-range market have always been committed to the principle of technological parity. However, one fundamental aspect of alternative energy vehicles has remained unchanged: as the most expensive component of new energy vehicles, the power battery is crucial for reducing the price of EVs and enhancing their efficacy. The most effective proponents of technological equality ought to be battery manufacturers.

CATL has consistently propelled innovation in the power battery industry over the past decade.

As demand for recharging has increased, the market requirements for EV batteries have shifted from high energy density and extended vehicle ranges to increased charging efficiency and decreased application costs.

As the market for alternative energy vehicles expands, CATL must assume a more prominent role and adopt a more integrated business model to secure the market.

CATL's consumer-facing business model was established with the introduction of the chocolate battery + battery exchange service, the company's first product and service aimed at the general public. In spite of this, CATL maintained a distance from the consumer market.

As the market debated whether battery swapping is the future, CATL quickly entered the market without adopting a stance. The new ultracharging strategy is not a rejection of the battery-swapping paradigm, but rather a significantly more diverse and comprehensive energy solution.

The strategic decision made by CATL aligns with the accelerating pace of intelligent new energy vehicle development. Chip manufacturers with software expertise are comparable to automakers with both software and hardware expertise.

Current intelligent driving is characterised by severe competition between automakers, tech companies, and hardware manufacturers.

As the industry leader in power batteries, CATL possesses a considerable amount of influence. Its technological and commercial transformation towards a consumer-centric approach has the potential to substantially accelerate the adoption of new energy vehicle

Once veiled in secrecy, CATL's technology now drives the company to concentrate more on the mass consumer market. During this phase of industry transition, CATL's new mission as a power battery titan is to ground technology in reality, promote widespread application, and genuinely realise an industrial vision of technology transforming lives.