CATL Will Manufacture Fast-Charging Shenxing Battery In Germany, Hungary

CATL will manufacture its upcoming fast-charging Shenxing battery in Germany and Hungary alongside China, according to principal engineer Gao Pengfei at the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich.

Reuters reported that the battery will be mass-produced in China beginning in late 2023 and will be available in electric vehicles beginning in 2024. Gao declined to provide a timeline for production in Europe and stated that no offtake agreements with customers in the region had yet been finalised.

CATL, the world's largest battery manufacturer, claims that the new Shenxing battery made of lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, will be capable of driving 400 kilometres (248 miles) on a 10-minute charge and 700 kilometres on a full charge.

LFP chemistry is less expensive than the nickel-cobalt-manganese batteries used in cylindrical cells by automakers such as BMW and Tesla, according to Gao.

The battery manufacturer began production at its Thuringia plant in central Germany in December 2022 and is currently building Europe's largest battery plant in Debrecen, Hungary, with the goal of starting production in 2-3 years.