By ZHUANG Jian
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) has announced the launch of a new solid-state battery. The company claims that the energy density of the battery can reach up to 500 Wh/kg, which is more than 40 percent higher than the highest energy density of current lithium batteries.
WU Kai, chief scientist of CATL, explained that solid-state batteries not only have high capacity but are very safe and are easily mass produced. Capacity and safety are often mutually exclusive, a core issue that restricts battery technology.
CATL is currently working on electric passenger aircraft powered by solid-state batteries. CATL promises that a vehicle version of the battery will be mass-produced this year.
During the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition this year, Chery Automobile announced that CATL's sodium-ion battery will be first used in Chery models. The sodium-ion battery was released in 2021 with industrialization expected this year.
The first Zeekr 009 equipped with CATL's Kirin battery was delivered on April 18. The Kirin battery has been in mass production since March this year. Li Auto has also announced that its first pure electric vehicle will be equipped with the 4C Kirin battery, with a charging time of less than 15 minutes.
