Chinese Company Says Its New Car Battery Can Provide A 250mile Charge In 10 Minutes: ‘We Hope … [to Be] Available For Every Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicle charging times are approaching fast food levels, at least in terms of speed.

Chinese company CATL has released a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that it claims can provide a range of up to 400 kilometers with a 10-minute charge. The news could come as a blow to drivers who have been reluctant to buy electric vehicles for fear of long charging times. For example, recharging a fossil fuel burner would take the same amount of time if the power lines at a gas station were limited.

CATL describes this power station as a new combination of LFP technology and charging speed. Company officials hope ultra-fast charging will help boost the already booming electric vehicle market.

The battery is called Shenxing. InsideEVs reports that the name comes from an ancient Chinese saying in praise of speed. But this technology offers even more benefits.

LFP batteries are typically cheaper to produce than some alternatives because they use iron and other metals as part of the chemical charge/discharge process. Iron breaks down more easily than nickel and cobalt, which are used in many electric vehicle batteries.

This is part of CATL experts' efforts to eliminate the "fear" that drivers have when they see the charge indicator drop while driving. The battery can provide a range of approximately 435 miles on a full charge. According to CATL, Shenxing can reach 80 percent of its charging capacity in about 30 minutes.

“We hope that through continuous efforts to improve technology and reduce costs, Shenxing will become a standard product available for all electric vehicles,” said Gao Han, director of EV technology at CATL, in the InsideEVs report.

Manufacturers from Shenxing claim that the battery is safe and effective even in cold climates. It can be quickly charged at temperatures up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. The battery uses an "intelligent algorithm" to regulate the temperature in the energy cells, which the company says promotes safety through fast charging.

Shenxing is expected to go into production this year and be installed on electric vehicles in early 2024. According to InsideEVs, the largest buyer of CATL batteries today is Tesla.

CATL, the world's largest battery maker, is also expanding its battery recycling sector to more continents to stay ahead of other Chinese electric vehicle companies competing for market share, including BYD. The CATL editorial team has won numerous awards for its innovation and expertise.

The goal now is to make this technology as widespread as Big Macs, with the same fast response time.

“As electric vehicle consumers transform from early adopters to regular users, we must make advanced technologies accessible to everyone and give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of innovation,” said CATL chief scientist Wu Kai.

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New battery! Does Tesla provide 10 minutes or 400 km range?