On April 21, 2026, CATL hosted its Super Technology Day in Beijing to introduce six innovations spanning multiple battery chemistries and a unified charging and swapping solution. The announcements covered the third-generation Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery, third-generation Qilin Battery, Qilin Condensed Battery, second-generation Freevoy Super Hybrid Battery, Naxtra Sodium-ion Battery, and an integrated supercharging and battery-swapping network.
Dr. Wu Kai, CATL’s chief scientist, reviewed the performance trade-offs and development paths for lithium iron phosphate (LFP), nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM), and sodium-ion chemistries. He noted that LFP is approaching its theoretical energy density limit but excels in fast-charging applications, while NCM remains the leader in energy density. Sodium-ion technology offers advantages in extreme temperatures and stationary storage. CATL Chairman and CEO Robin Zeng emphasized that global competitiveness depends on rigorous scientific innovation, validation, and brand credibility.
The third-generation Shenxing battery achieves an equivalent 10C continuous charge rate and a 15C peak rate. It can charge from 10% to 35% state of charge (SOC) in one minute, to 80% in 3 minutes 44 seconds, and to 98% in 6 minutes 27 seconds. Even at –30 °C, it reaches 98% SOC in about nine minutes. By reducing heat generation, enhancing thermal propagation, and improving control precision, the battery retains over 90% capacity after 1,000 cycles.
The third-generation Qilin Battery delivers 280 Wh/kg cell energy density, supports 10C charging, and enables a 1,000 km range in premium electric vehicles. The pack weighs 625 kg—255 kg lighter than comparable LFP systems—and generates peak power of 3 MW. Structural safety is reinforced by independent exhaust channels to prevent thermal propagation.
The Qilin Condensed Battery applies aviation-grade materials to achieve 350 Wh/kg and 760 Wh/L, enabling up to 1,500 km range for sedans. Its titanium alloy case reduces weight by 30% and thickness by 60%. A novel composite current collector functions as a fast self-fusing safety fuse.
The second-generation Freevoy Super Hybrid Battery combines LFP and NCM at the particle level, reaching 230 Wh/kg and extending pure electric range to 500 km or 600 km, depending on chemistry. It delivers 1.5 MW peak power and maintains 1.2 MW at 20% SOC, with reinforced impact and waterproof protection.
CATL’s Naxtra Sodium-ion Battery has achieved gigawatt-scale industrialization by resolving water control, gas generation, foil adhesion, and anode formation challenges, and is slated for mass production by late 2026.
The integrated supercharging and swapping network combines home charging, public fast-charging, and Choco-Swap/QIJI swapping stations. Each station supports both charging and swapping, improves equipment utilization above 85%, and reduces power loss by over 13 percentage points. CATL aims to build 4,000 stations by the end of 2026 and expand to 100,000 shared facilities by 2028 in partnership with leading automakers.
Source: CATL
