23-04-2025
Forget Tesla Chargers! China Offers 5 Minute Charge For 320 Mile Range!
BEIJING, CHINA - CATL Qilin battery is on display at Auto China 2024. (Photo by Zhou Chengfeng/VCG ... More via Getty Images)
If you thought Tesla's Superchargers were fast, wait till you get a load of the latest chargers from China. Just revealed at Auto Shanghai, the world's leading EV battery maker, Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), has unveiled a new battery that it claims has an even greater range than rival BYD's state-of-the-art technology. And a lot more than Tesla.
Today, both CATL and BYD claim to have batteries that can charge electric vehicles in as little as five minutes. However, CATL raised the stakes earlier this week in Shanghai when it revealed that the 320-mile range of its new Shenxing battery is around 70 miles longer than BYD's claimed 250-mile range, and it can charge that range in 5 minutes. By contrast, Tesla's Superchargers are only capable of providing 200 miles of range in around 15 minutes.
At CATL's Tech Day in Shanghai, Chief Technology Officer Gao Huan reinforced the brand's message by saying, "Once again, we are pushing the boundaries of performance beyond limits.'
"Our goal is to make the CATL Shenxing supercharging battery the standard for EVs, bringing users a more convenient and easier travel experience,' he added.
It just goes to show how fast EV and battery development is progressing in China as CATL's record-breaking 5-minute charging comes only a month after BYD revealed its own eye-opening battery news.
With a 500-mile full battery capacity, the improved Shenxing battery was introduced alongside the Naxtra, a new sodium-ion battery that CATL markets as a safer and more cost-effective substitute for lithium and lead acid batteries.
As the leading supplier of EV batteries for the last 8 years, supplying the likes of Tesla, Ford, BMW and Volkswagen, CATL boasts a huge 38% market share according to influential EV site cnevpost. And with 17.2% of the market, BYD came in second.
So just how big is CATL? The company claims that its batteries were powering around 17 million vehicles globally by the end of last year, accounting for one out of every three EVs. In an effort to increase its worldwide footprint, the Chinese battery giant, which had previously listed in Shenzhen, applied for a second listing in Hong Kong in February.
Even at temperatures as low as 14 degrees (-10 degrees Celsius), CATL said the battery works effectively in extremely cold conditions, providing an 80% charge from 5% in just 15 minutes.
A CATL spokesperson told the China Securities Journal, a Chinese state-run publication, that the battery manufacturer would not be significantly impacted by US President Donald Trump's tariffs on China and autos because just a small percentage of its overall shipments come from its American business.
But the question remains? When and how will America get access to this ultra-fast charging infrastructure that, well, blows Tesla and BYD out of the water?
