CATL claims 1,500 km range battery

CATL used its April 21 Super Technology Day in Beijing to bundle two separate headline claims into one battery-tech push: a condensed-matter pack it says can take some sedans to 1,500 kilometers of range, and a third-generation fast-charging battery it says can go from 10% to 98% in 6 minutes 27 seconds. The company presented both as part of a broader multi-chemistry strategy spanning lithium iron phosphate, ternary lithium, sodium-ion and hybrid systems. CATL’s release said the products are aimed at different use cases rather than a single winner-take-all chemistry path. The announcements drew attention because they speak to the two EV constraints automakers keep chasing at once — range and charging time. ### Did CATL actually announce one battery that does both 1,500 km and six-minute charging? CATL’s April 21 release described the 1,500-kilometer figure and the six-minute charging figure on different products. The long-range claim was tied to what CATL called its Qilin Condensed Battery, while the ultra-fast charging claim was tied to the third-generation Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery. (catl.com) CarNewsChina, citing the launch event, reported the condensed battery has a gravimetric energy density of 350 Wh/kg and a volumetric energy density of 760 Wh/L, with a pack weight below 650 kg. That configuration, it said, would allow “executive-class sedans” to reach 1,500 km and full-size SUVs to reach 1,000 km. (catl.com) ### What exactly did CATL say about charging speed? CATL said the third-generation Shenxing battery reaches an “equivalent 10C” and peak 15C charging rate. In the company’s figures, charging from 10% to 35% state of charge takes 1 minute, from 10% to 80% takes 3 minutes 44 seconds, and from 10% to 98% takes 6 minutes 27 seconds. CATL also said the Shenxing battery kept more than 90% capacity after 1,000 complete cycles, framing that as evidence it had balanced fast charging with service life. (carnewschina.com) The company’s chief scientist, Wu Kai, said at the event that lithium iron phosphate chemistry is nearing its theoretical energy-density limit and is better suited to a roadmap centered on extreme fast charging. (catl.com) ### What is “condensed-matter” battery supposed to mean here? CarNewsChina reported that CATL’s condensed battery is what other manufacturers commonly describe as a semi-solid-state or liquid-solid battery. CATL’s own release did not use the term “solid-state” in the headline product list, instead calling the product the Qilin Condensed Battery. That distinction matters because solid-state timelines have become a crowded marketing field. (catl.com) CATL’s April 21 event focused on commercial specifications it said it had reached — energy density, pack weight, charging rates and use cases — rather than announcing mass-market passenger-car production dates for the condensed battery in the release reviewed here. ### How does this fit with CATL’s broader battery strategy? (catl.com) Robin Zeng, CATL’s chairman and chief executive, said at the Beijing event that industrial innovation should be driven by “a rigorous scientific spirit.” The company’s release said different chemistries would develop in parallel, with sodium-ion positioned for extreme temperatures and storage, NCM for high energy density, and LFP for fast charging. (catl.com) CATL has been building that multi-track approach for at least two years. In April 2025, the company used its first Super Tech Day to launch its second-generation Shenxing battery and Naxtra sodium-ion battery, saying the Shenxing product had a peak 12C charging rate and the passenger EV sodium-ion pack offered a 500-km range. ### What should readers watch next? (catl.com) April 21 is the key date for the claims now circulating on social media, and CATL’s official materials tie them to a launch event in Beijing rather than to an announced production vehicle. The clearest next milestone is whether a named automaker discloses a passenger-car program using either the condensed battery or the third-generation Shenxing battery. (catl.com 1) (catl.com 2)