CATL “Superfast Charging Battery”
CATL, a Chinese giant battery manufacturer and supplier of Tesla has launched a superfast charging battery “Shenxing”, that can give 400 km range in just 10 mins of charge. It is the world’s first LFP-based Li-ion battery that can be charged at 4C (C-rate). C-rate defines the rate at which a battery can be charged or discharged. A higher C-rate means a faster rate of transfer of charge in or out of the battery. It is limited due to the type of battery chemistry and its internal mechanism.
1. Innovation in Battery
CATL’s chief technical officer Gao Huan has said that due to the innovation of battery materials, and electrode structures, the superfast charging speed has been achieved. CATL has explained how it is able to achieve this battery. It has innovated ( here replaced) the following areas of the battery:
- Cathode electrode with nano-crystal LFP cathode surrounded by a super electronic network to accelerate the Li-ion extraction from the cathode.
- Anode Innovation– Anode is usually made of multi-layered graphite material which stores (intercalates) incoming charges during the charge. CATL’s latest second-generation fast ion ring technology is used to modify the properties of graphite surface, which increases intercalation channels and shortens the intercalation distance for lithium ions, creating an expressway for current conduction. Furthermore, a multi-gradient layered electrode design has been developed to strike a perfect balance between fast charging and long range.
- Conventional Electrolyte is replaced by the brand-new superconducting electrolyte formula, which effectively reduces the viscosity of the electrolyte, resulting in improved conductivity. In addition, CATL has improved the ultra-thin SEI film (a type of protective film from short-circuit) to reduce the resistance of lithium-ion movement.
2. Safety of Battery
CATL has claimed its battery is safe due to improved properties of electrolyte and separator heat generation is minimized. By regulating the global temperature field inside the cells using intelligent algorithms, CATL has built a real-time fault testing system that can solve the problems brought about by fast refueling, enabling a high level of safety for the Shenxing battery. The company uses the massive checkpoints in the production line to avoid any defect in the battery, claiming up to 6,800 checkpoints used.
3. Performance of Battery
CATL’s battery is able to give a range of 700 km on a single charge which can be charged for a 400 km range in just 10 minutes. Even at – 10°C (where a normal battery takes hours to charge), the battery can be charged 0-80% in 30 minutes.
4. Production and OEMs reactions
According to the company CTO, battery mass production is expected by the end of the year with new EVs equipped with the fast-charging battery available on the market in the first quarter of 2024.
Chinese Car manufacturers like Chery Automobile, Changan Auto, GAC Group, and Great Wall Motors have termed this battery as an innovative product and have shown their interest in this CATL product.
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