Energy
CATL Has Unveiled No Less Than Six Battery Innovations At Once
When it comes to battery technology, a lot of attention is going to EV manufacturers like BYD and Tesla, or radical innovations like solid-state batteries. And the reason is that these innovations are either directly applied to commercial vehicles from famous brands, or that they could radically change how EVs and the world’s energy systems are made.
At the same time, the bulk of battery manufacturing is still done by one company, CATL, the Chinese company which control 42% of the EV battery market and is estimated at around 36% of the entire lithium-ion battery market, including small electronics and fixed storage.
Source: cnEVPost
CATL achieved this position of directly manufacturing 1 out of every 3 batteries through a mix of industrial excellence and continuous innovation, keeping its batteries’ chemistry at the top of what the industry can offer, while also being able to quickly move to mass production of its new designs.
The company made waves on April 21st, 2026, with a massive announcement of six different battery innovations that could consolidate even further CATL’s position as the global leader in battery technology.
CATL’s Super Technology Day
Hosted in Beijing, the event was designed to make as much positive PR for CATL as possible, but announcing not just a single breakthrough, but a massive improvement in most of the key capacities of the company’s battery technologies. This includes improved performance, several new battery concepts, and improved battery swap systems.
The six innovations announced by CATL are:
- Qilin “condensed-state” battery, potentially usable for electric aviation applications as well as EVs.
- Third-Generationhigh-energy density, long-range “Qilin” NCM Battery.
- Superfast Charging LFP Battery“Third-Generation Shenxing”.
- Cold-resistant and low-cost Sodium-Ion Battery.
- Dual-Power Battery“Freevoy” for hybrid vehicles.
- Integrated Supercharging and Battery-swapping Network
The key idea behind the reveal of this series of new batteries is that CATL has now perfected its battery chemistry solutions to have a design for every use case and specific needs, from cheap EVs to luxury models or hybrids, cold weather, fast charging requirements, and even opening the way for new applications like electric aviation.
As such, CATL is not betting on one battery technology in particular but a diverse array of solutions all supported by an extremely deep understanding of batteries’ chemistry and manufacturing process.
Superfast Third-Generation “Shenxing” LFP Battery
Today, many EVs are powered by LFP batteries (lithium-ferrum-phosphates), as this chemistry allows for lower cost while still preserving good enough performance.
However, LFP batteries have also been known to be slow to charge, making it a sore point for many potential EV buyers unwilling to wait 20-30 minutes to “fill their tank”.
A key issue is that fast charging overheats the battery, which can damage its capacity and reduce its lifespan.
“As the Arrhenius equation shows, a 10°C increase in battery temperature can roughly double the rate of internal side reactions—an effect that can significantly shorten cycle life.”
This is the issue that the 3rd generation of Shenxing batteries is solving, through reduced heat production during operation, stronger thermal propagation, and higher precision control.
The end result is a superfast charging battery that retain 90% of its capacity after 1,000 cycles.
“Charging from 10% to 35% SOC (State of Charge) takes just 1 minute; from 10% to 80% SOC takes 3 minutes and 44 seconds; and from 10% to 98% SOC takes 6 minutes and 27 seconds.”
This fast charging capacity even holds somewhat in cold weather up to −30°C (-22°F), where it is charging from 20% to 98% SOC in about 9 minutes.
Qilin 3rd Generation
While CATL is a contested leader in LFP batteries, fighting toes-to-toes with BYD and looking to dominate the field back with Shenxing, it is with innovation in its Qilin NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) chemistry that CATL is looking for higher performance and future market dominance.
The first part is the 3rd generation of the commercialized Qilin design, designed for premium long-range EVs. This version is achieving a cell energy density of 280 Wh/kg and enabling 1,000 km range while supporting 10C superfast charging (fully charged from 0% to 100% in 6 minutes).
As the entire battery pack weighs only 625 kg, this represents a weight reduction of 255 kg and space savings of 112 liters compared to equivalent LFP systems. Not only does it improve the EV’s performance, but it also improves energy efficiency by 6%.
The improved density also leads to improved durability, with chassis component life extended by 40% and tire life by over 30%, while the 112 litres of space saved can increase cabin headroom by at least 18 mm (0.7 inches).
Qilin “Condensed-State” Battery
The second part is the development of a so-called “condensed-state” battery, a midway step between classical lithium-ion using liquid electrolyte and hard-to-mass-produce solid-state batteries.
This design was initially conceptualized by CATL as a battery designed for aviation applications, using much more rigorous safety standards than those used in EVs.
It is the first-ever commercial, mass-produced battery to reach 350 Wh/kg cell energy density and 760 Wh/L volumetric energy density. When applied to EVs, this enables a 1,500 km range for sedans and over 1,000 km for large SUVs, with pack weight controlled within the 650 kg range.
Part of what makes this battery unique stems from its aviation-class requirements. So it uses a first-ever-used-in-battery aviation-grade titanium alloy case. This reduced the thickness by 60% and weight by 30%, while tripling unit strength and delivering an additional 20 Wh/kg in energy density.
Another separate innovation is a high-nickel cathode and low-expansion silicon-carbon anode, boosting energy density by 50 Wh/kg.
The third innovation is that the battery uses a sort of gel as electrolyte, which solidifies only once inserted into the battery, but still stays more flexible than the solid metals used in solid-state designs. This solution provides the same advantage as a solid-state electrolyte, namely, eliminating the risks associated with leakage and combustion.
For extra safety, the battery also uses a new composite current collector that acts as a fast self-fusing fuse in extreme cases of internal short circuits.
While solid-state batteries are often presented as the “holy grail” of battery chemistry, CATL’s condensed state gel electrolyte might be an interesting compromise: same safety, almost as high energy density, but with none of the manufacturing complexity of solid-state designs.
When combined with aviation-grade titanium casing and advanced silicon anode, the resulting density and ease of manufacturing combined might be the winning formula for high-performance, high-density batteries.
Freevoy Dual-Power Battery
As the debate over NCM vs LFP chemistry rages in the EV and battery industry, CATL’s Freevoy proposes a compromise: why not both? This design mixed both chemistries into the same battery.
“LFP and NCM materials through gradient-uniform mixing, with the olivine crystal structure of LFP serving as the core backbone, enabling a uniform hybrid of LFP and NCM materials at the powder particle level.”
This achieves an energy density of 230 Wh/kg and increases range by over 15% without increasing pack weight compared with single LFP systems. The idea is that this battery would be used in EREVs (extended range electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles).
“The LFP version delivers up to 500 km pure electric range, enabling a “once-a-week charging” experience for daily commuting. The NCM version further extends pure electric range beyond 600 km, with total vehicle range exceeding 2,000 km, enabling a seamless dual-use experience for both daily electric driving and long-distance travel.”
Importantly, this system can deliver 1.5 MW of instantaneous power at full charge and maintains 1.2 MW at 20% SOC. This means that hybrid vehicles designed with this battery can operate fully on an electric drive train even in demanding conditions like off-road or low charge conditions, while still delivering the fuel flexibility and no range anxiety of fuel cars.
In addition to the improved performance, Freevoy includes additional safety features like a reinforced bottom coating capable of withstanding 1,500 joules of impact energy (ten times the Chinese national standard) and waterproof sealing that allows continuous immersion in 2 metres of water for over 200 hours without performance degradation.
Naxtra Sodium-Ion Battery: Cheap & Cold Resistant
With fast charging covered by improved LFP and high-performance by condensed state, CATL then tackles a different market: cheap energy storage.
Instead of expensive lithium, sodium-ion batteries use abundant and cheap sodium (a component of table salt) instead. This can be done with a similar design to lithium-ion batteries (sodium-ion) or even more advanced solid-state sodium battery designs.
For now, CATL is focusing its sodium-based designs on sodium-ion with its Naxtra battery design. This will be the first sodium-ion battery to reach the scale of GWh-level industrialization required for applications in EV models and fixed storage.
To make it happen, CATL had to solve four key industrial production issues with sodium-ion designs:
- extreme water control.
- gas generation in hard carbon.
- aluminium foil adhesion.
- self-forming anode systems.
The resulting 175 Wh/kg is certainly less dense than lithium batteries, but it is also much cheaper. And still enough to achieve 500 km (310 miles) range in passenger EVs.
Sodium-ion batteries also have a unique advantage, thanks to the fundamental physics of using sodium atoms: cold resistance. Loss of range, or even permanent damage from extreme colds, is a recurring issue for lithium-based batteries, something the industry never really managed to fully fix.
In contrast, Naxtra sodium-ion batteries display superior performance in extreme temperatures, ranging from -40°C to +70°C (-40°F to 158°F).
Integrated Supercharging & Battery-swapping Network
When it comes to EV infrastructure, the industry’s largest actors are still hesitating between the option of high-power fast chargers and battery swapping.
Fast chargers have the advantage of being simpler to implement and more flexible, working with virtually any battery designs as long as the connectors are standardized.
But battery swapping can provide a vehicle with a fully charged battery in 3-5 minutes, something that even the best chemistry struggles to achieve (requiring performance as high as 11C and more). Overall, battery switch is considered mostly for vehicles with larger battery packs (buses, trucks) and with strong energy consumption and time-sensitive business models (taxis, delivery, etc).
CATL proposes here that charging stations should not have to make a choice between the two options, at least in its Chinese home market.
Instead, it proposes during the Super Technology Day that all passenger vehicle “Choco-Swap” and heavy truck “QIJI” swapping stations will also be equipped with Shenxing supercharging systems.
This new charging/swapping station design includes shared compact substations and charging modules, which reduce power losses by 13%.
Throughout China, CATL plans to build 4,000 integrated charge–swapping stations by the end of 2026, covering nearly 190 cities and a nationwide highway network.
The company is working with Chinese automakers like Changan, Chery, GAC, Seres, SAIC-GM-Wuling, and BAIC to create a 100,000 facility charge–swap sharing network by the end of 2028.
The Bigger Picture: An Emerging Battery Ecosystem
Behind the six reveals at CATL’s Super Technology Day is shaping a new perspective on battery technologies. So far, the industry has been focusing on finding THE perfect battery technology, which would be simultaneously cheap, high-density, cold-resistant, safe from combustion, with no critical minerals, etc.
Instead, a new pattern of a diverse array of chemistries and designs is taking shape. Higher-end EVs would be running on high-density NCM batteries, likely condensed-state, while others closer to mid-price will be running on fast charging LFP batteries, and cheaper models or cold climate markets on sodium-ion chemistry.
Meanwhile, even hybrid vehicles can benefit from dedicated improved batteries that help make fuel usage rarer and optional, while keeping the comfort of knowing ordinary fuel can be enough. This can be an important option for countries and regions where supercharger networks are still lagging, or where the grid cannot yet support the whole vehicle fleet to electrify.
Lastly, CATL is aggressively expanding its Chinese charging network and is merging the concept of swapping and charging stations to optimize both the efficiency of the station and the efficacy of the charging network for all possible user preferences.
CATL is rather unique in the battery industry thanks to its exceptional scale that lets it move into every possible niche, and often become the dominant actor in it.
However, out-of-China’s supply chains are likely going to take a similar direction: instead of a one-size-fits-all design, specialized suppliers could emerge, each specialized in either premium EV batteries, mid-range models, sodium-ion chemistry for cheaper models, batteries for hybrid vehicles, stationary energy storage, etc.
Similarly, collaboration between car brands and compatible charging standards, including for battery swapping, is required to build efficient and large-scale charging networks, instead of competing in pushing one unique solution to “win” against others.
In some ways, this is logical, the same way that several combustion engine types and chemical fuels exist, depending on whether they are required for a mining truck, tractor, a semi truck, a cheap car, or a racing car.
Investing In The Next Battery Generation
CATL (300750.SZ)
In our previous 2024 investment report dedicated to CATL, we had already discussed how advanced the company’s technology was and why it implies that its dominance over the battery industry would likely last.
The latest reveals during the Super Technology Day reinforce this idea, as condensed state batteries are now likely going to be a serious competitor to solid-state designs. Meanwhile, advanced LFP and sodium-ion designs will be a massive growth engine for CATL, as it will help it provide lagging automakers with the cheap battery they need to electrify their entire offering, and not just the luxury models.
But EVs are maybe not the whole story either. CATL has been producing in the past year TENER, a new lithium battery with a honeycomb design that makes it a lot denser and durable. This containerized battery system for energy storage at the grid scale demonstrated zero degradation in capacity after a full 5 years of operation.
“Based on state-of-the-art technology and extreme manufacturing capabilities, we have solved the challenges of highly active lithium metals […], which effectively helps prevent the thermal instability caused by the oxidation reaction.”
It is possible that future versions of TENER could leverage sodium-ion technology as well, making the energy storage containers even cheaper and more cold-resistant.
The same durability is displayed by the trucking-focused battery TECTRANS – T Long Life Edition, which displays a lifespan of up to 15 years or 2.8 million kilometers. Several million kilometers is 2-3x larger than the usual lifespan of ICE commercial trucks, which usually range from 800,000 – 1,600,000 km (500,000 – 1,000,000 miles).
So overall, CATL has a massive space to grow ahead, with the still growing EV market, but also fixed energy storage to capitalize on declining solar power costs, and trucking that is only starting to electrify, and maybe even air travel.
QuantumScape
(QS )
One-size-fits-all might not be the way the battery industry will evolve. But certainly, the higher density designs are going to have a margin advantage as they can be installed in more expensive models, or simply with fewer cells for lower range targets.
It is also clear that while CATL is a very important global supplier in the battery industry, many non-Chinese car brands will be cautious to increase further their dependency on the Chinese supply chain, as Chinese car exports explode globally.
So QuantumScape, one of the leading developers of solid-state battery technology, is a good option to bet on a battery supplier out of China.
The company has evolved from a startup to an essential key for Volkswagen, the #2 largest automaker in the world, to catch up on EV technology.
Source: QuantumScape
In September 2025, the company finally showcased its battery in a real commercial vehicle, a fully electric Ducati V21L race motorcycle.
The Volkswagen deals are not the only important deals for the company, as it has also undisclosed joint-development agreements with a major global automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), and agreements with the leading auto OEM by revenue, luxury and premium OEMs, as well as for stationary storage and consumer electronics.
QuantumScape is also ramping up partnerships to improve the mass production of its ceramic separator: on September 30, it announced an agreement with Corning (GLW ) to jointly develop ceramic separator manufacturing capabilities, and with Murata Manufacturing, with further progress in the collaboration, with both companies’ world-class ceramic manufacturing experts.
So overall, QuantumScape, after many delays, is seemingly ready to scale up production and bring its solid-state battery onto the market, with an extremely large industrial partner ready to absorb all the batteries it can manufacture and then some more.
(You can read more about QuantumScape’s technology and partnership with Volkswagen in our dedicated investment report.)
Latest QuantumScape (QS) Stock News and Developments
