CATL Advances in All-Solid-State Battery Development and Enters Sample Validation Phase

CATL has expanded its all-solid-state battery R&D team to over 1,000 experts and entered the trial production phase of 20 Ah samples, marking significant progress toward small-scale production planned for 2027.

Share This Post

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) has intensified its research and development efforts in all-solid-state batteries, expanding its dedicated team to over 1,000 specialists. The company has recently progressed to the trial production stage of 20 Ah samples, indicating that its battery solution has reached an initial finalization and is now exploring production technologies.

CATL is focusing on the sulfide-based approach for all-solid-state batteries. According to industry insiders, the current solution achieves an energy density of 500 Wh/kg for lithium ternary batteries, marking an improvement of over 40% compared to existing batteries. However, challenges remain in enhancing charging speed and cycle life to meet industry expectations.

There are three primary technological paths in the solid-state battery sector: oxide, polymer, and sulfide. Prototype development typically begins with 1 Ah capacity samples to test material performance. Progressing to 10 Ah samples allows for individual cell performance testing, and reaching 20 Ah signifies that the battery solution is ready for production technology exploration.

In April, CATL’s chief scientist, Wu Kai, announced that the company had established a performance verification platform for 10 Ah all-solid-state batteries and made significant advancements in cathode and anode materials, as well as in manufacturing processes and equipment. The 20 Ah capacity aligns with the single-cell capacity of soft-pack batteries currently used in electric vehicles. Overcoming safety and performance hurdles at this stage would shift the focus to manufacturing engineering, which can be accelerated by increasing manpower and experimental trials.

During the China International Battery Fair (CIBF) 2024 on April 28, Wu revealed that CATL aims for small-scale production of all-solid-state batteries by 2027. This marks the first public announcement of a production timeline for this new battery type by the company. Using a technological maturity scale from 1 to 9, Wu stated that CATL’s all-solid-state battery development is currently at level 4, with a goal to reach levels 7 to 8 by 2027. Achieving this would enable small-batch production, although mass production may still face cost-related challenges.

At a power battery conference in September, CATL’s chairman, Robin Zeng, asserted that the company’s research in all-solid-state batteries is unparalleled in the industry. The substantial investment in a 1,000-strong research team underscores CATL’s commitment, representing an estimated annual salary expense of RMB 1 billion ($140 million). Industry sources note that many solid-state battery companies lack the resources to build laboratories with budgets in the hundreds of millions of yuan.

CATL initiated its all-solid-state battery research in 2016 but only significantly increased R&D investment in late 2022. The company’s management had been cautious about this technology until Wu shared progress updates at a battery industry forum in March.

Source: CNEVPOST

Share This Post

How do we Get in Touch?

Drop Us A Line to connect

Let’s talk about your challenges in the battery market and how we can help you evolve your marketing strategy and business development.

Logo_Battery-Tech-Network_Thumbnail

Let's connect

and Find Out How We Can Support Your Business