Chinese battery maker claims new tech can last two million km

Monday, 15 June 2020

Chinese vehicle battery maker Contemporary Amperex Techology Co. Ltd. (CATL) says it has a product that can last two million kilometres over 16 years.

For comparison, most other electric battery manufacturer offer warranties for between 96,000 and 240,000km over a three to eight-year period.

CATL's new battery is ready to go, as per an interview between chairperson Zeng Yuqun and Bloomberg.

CATL works with a number of high-end automotive brands, which means its large lifespan battery has a good chance of powering your next EV.

“If someone places an order, we are ready to produce,” Zeng said, before adding that the battery would cost around ten per cent more to produce than the current products.

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One big issue with current electric vehicles is the lifespan of the battery. Chinese manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Techology reckons it's solved the problem.

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It was previously reported by Reuters that the battery was co-developed with Tesla but this hasn't been officially confirmed. If it is true, Tesla's cars could soon gain a healthy edge over its opponents, as battery longevity is one main factor holding back widespread EV adoption.

CATL has signed an agreement with the American manufacturer to supply batteries for two years, although it also works with BMW, Daimler, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen (which has just signed an agreement with Ford involving EVs) and Volvo. GM has previously confirmed it is working towards a million-mile (1.6 million km) battery, which would still be a hefty jump on today's technology.

At the moment, it's unclear if any major automotive player has signed up for CATL's new batteries.

Additionally, there aren't any details available on the new battery. We don't know what it's made from, how it's made or how exactly CATL can coax the equivalent of fifty circumnavigations of Earth out of one battery.

Zeng told Bloomberg that EV buying will jump next year, when pent-up demand caused by Covid-19 overflows.

“The pandemic may have a lasting effect throughout 2020, but won’t be a major factor next year,” he said. “We have great confidence for the long run.”