CATL unveils TENER ESS and Shenxing PLUS battery and charging network
Container system
Last month, CATL unveiled several new products including the TENER containerized energy storage system (“ESS”), the Shenxing PLUS LFP battery and the Shenxing charging network.
TENER claims to be the world’s first ESS with zero degradation for the first five years. The 6.25 MWh 20-ft container systems claim a 20% improvement on station footprint owing to the 430 Wh/L volumetric density.
The Shenxing PLUS LFP battery supports 4C fast charging which claims up to 550 kW charging rates. Advancements in cell design facilitate more efficient energy transition between cathode and anode, while a new AI technology bolsters battery management system efficiency.
Energy density reaches 205 Wh/kg at the battery pack level through advancements in the cathode, anode and pack construction.
The cathode uses granular gradation technology to assist particle compaction. The anode makes use of a proprietary 3D honeycomb-shaped material which controls volume expansion during charge/discharge cycles. Lastly, CATL employs industry first single-piece casing in combination with cell-to-pack 3.0 technology.
As a premium offering to Shenxing battery owners, CATL has also moved into the charging infrastructure business.
In collaboration with industry partners Star Charge, YKC and Shudao New Energy, CATL plans to build 10,000 fast charging stations, across 600 service outlets and 100 cities in China by end-2025. Services will also include roadside assist, battery inspection and maintenance.
Adamas take:
For an LFP Li-ion battery to achieve 1,000 km range, with 10 minute-600 km chargeability, appears disruptive enough to break into the last remaining EV skeptics and China’s growing inter-city driving market, which has historically been occupied by ICE/HEV/PHEVs (often as household’s secondary vehicles).
These developments from the world’s largest cell manufacturer are bullish for sustained growth of lithium deployment.
At a time when Tesla is curtailing its expenditure into costly charging networks, CATL is entering the business, leapfrogging vehicle OEMs who have historically extended the service. It is a bold move because return on investment necessitates consumer loyalty to the battery provider over the vehicle OEM.
However, in many ways it’s a case of necessity since existing charging stations rarely support 550 kW rates, as was the case with Tesla’s supercharger network which scaled up to 250 kW.
Furthermore, the timing speaks to LFP battery technology’s relative state of maturity. As such, CATL’s risk of technological obsolescence of its infrastructure buildout is minimized.
[Extract from the May issue of the EV Battery Lithium Monthly service.]
Chris Williams, Analyst at Adamas Intelligence
Chris is an Analyst at Adamas Intelligence focused on the global lithium industry. He researches and analyzes the lithium value chain to uncover actionable opportunities for clients.
Chris has 11-years experience in mining and oil & gas operations optimization, delivering value from data intensive insight generation. He completed his Bachelor and Masters of Engineering at the University of Queensland, majoring in Mechanical Engineering, and is currently completing a Masters of Business Administration at the University of British Columbia.
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