ImportantHardware
CATL's new LFP battery can charge from 10 to 98% in less than 7 minutes
Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has unveiled a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery that charges from 10-98% in under 7 minutes, nearly five times faster than current premium EV batteries, while maintaining superior cold-weather performance (-22°F charging in 9 minutes). This breakthrough addresses two critical EV adoption barriers—charging speed and cold-weather reliability—and demonstrates China's acceleration in energy storage technology leadership. The advancement has significant implications for data center UPS systems, edge computing deployments, and any IT infrastructure requiring rapid-charging backup power solutions.
Ars Technica2 min read
As prophesied by more than a few analysts along the years, China's full-hearted embrace of electric vehicles has paid dividends. Starting with also-rans that required joint ventures with Western automakers, Chinese OEMs now make world-leading EVs crammed full of smartphone-like features that we're told are the best thing since sliced bread. I remain skeptical about that for now, but I don't need to be convinced about the advanced state of Chinese EV powertrain technology. For instance, earlier today, the battery giant CATL unveiled an impressive new lithium-iron phosphate battery at a tech event in China. The third-generation Shenxing battery is CATL's answer to BYD's recently announced Blade Battery 2.0, and like BYD, CATL has focused on improving a couple of big pain points. One is charging speed. Humans have long been conditioned to expect pumping an energy-dense liquid fuel into a vehicle to be quick. Batteries, meanwhile, can have non-linear charge curves depending on cell chemistry, and they behave differently at different temperatures and starting states of charge. OEMs like Hyundai and Porsche have 800 V nickel manganese cobalt battery packs that can charge from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 18 minutes. But according to a report in CarNewsChina, CATL's Shenxing 3.0 is nearly five times faster.Read full article Comments