CATL

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Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
Native name
宁德时代新能源科技股份有限公司
SZSE: 300750
IndustryElectric batteries
Founded2011; 13 years ago (2011)
FounderRobin Zeng
Headquarters
Ningde, Fujian
,
China
Key people
Number of employees
33,078 (2020)[1]
Websitewww.catl.com Edit this at Wikidata

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited, abbreviated as CATL, is a Chinese battery manufacturer and technology company founded in 2011 that specializes in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, as well as battery management systems (BMS).[2] The company is a major EV battery manufacturer, with a global market share of around 37% in 2023.[3][4]

The company is headquartered in the city of Ningde in China's Fujian province.

History[edit]

CATL was founded in Ningde, which is reflected in its Chinese name ('Ningde era'). The company started as a spin-off of Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), a previous business founded by Robin Zeng in 1999. ATL initially manufactured lithium-polymer batteries based on licensed technology but later developed more reliable battery designs themselves.[citation needed] In 2005, ATL was acquired by Japan's TDK company, but Zeng continued as a manager for ATL. In 2012, Zeng and vice-chairman Huang Shilin spun off the EV battery operations of ATL into the new company CATL. Until 2015, former parent TDK held a 15% stake in CATL.[5] Zeng has applied management styles of TDK and Huawei to his company.[5]

Growth[edit]

CATL facility in Arnstadt, Germany

Due to the rise of electric vehicles, CATL gradually became one of the leading battery providers in the world due to its early investments in EV battery technologies. China's dominant position in the battery manufacturing supply chain, including the control over rare-earth materials, provided an ideal foundation for Chinese companies like CATL to decouple from the monopoly of Western technology. It started to provide components to the supply chains of European and American vehicle manufacturers amidst competition from Panasonic and L.G. Chemical.[6]

In 2016, CATL was the world's third largest provider of EV, HEV and PHEV batteries, behind Panasonic (Sanyo) and BYD.[7] In 2017, CATL's sales of power battery system reached 11.84GWh, taking the lead worldwide for the first time.[8]

In January 2017, CATL announced a strategic partnership with Valmet Automotive, focusing on project management, engineering and battery pack supply. CATL acquired a 22% stake in Valmet Automotive.[9][10]

BMW announced in 2018 that it would buy €4 billion worth of batteries from CATL for use in the electric Mini and iNext vehicles.[11]

In 2018, CATL announced that it would establish a new battery factory in Arnstadt, Thuringia, Germany.[11]

In June 2020, Zeng Yuqun announced that the company had achieved a battery for electric vehicles (EVs) rated as good for 1 million miles (or 1.6 million kilometers).[12][13]

In 2021 the company unveiled a sodium-ion battery for the automotive market.[14] A battery recycling facility is planned to recover some of the materials.[15]

2022-[edit]

In the first half, CATL ranked first in the world with a market share of 34 percent, according to SNE research.[16] CATL announced plans to establish a battery factory in Debrecen, Hungary.[17] Their Yibin manufacturing plant was certified as the world's first zero-carbon battery factory.[18]

In July Ford announced buying batteries from CATL for use in the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning models,[19] which subsequently raised concerns with the United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.[20] In October, CATL expanded its deal with VinFast to provide a skateboard chassis and "enhance global footprint".[21]

In 2023, CATL introduced its M3P battery, offering a 15% increase in energy density, reaching 210 Wh/kg. The battery replaces the iron in the lithium iron phosphate battery with a combination of magnesium, zinc, and aluminum.[22]

Later that year, the company announced its Shenxing LFP battery.[23] The cathode of Shenxing LFP is fully nano-crystallized, which accelerates ion movement and the response to charging signals. The anode's second-generation fast ion ring technology increases intercalation channels and shortens intercalation distance. Its superconducting electrolyte formula reduces viscosity and improves conductivity. A new separator film reduces resistance. At room temperature, Shenxing can charge from 0 to 80% in 10 minutes and in just 30 minutes at -10 °C, maintains 0-100 kph performance at low temperatures. Safety is enhanced by using a safe coating for the electrolyte and the separator. A real-time fault testing system allows safe and fast refueling.[23] Ford announced a 2,500 worker battery plant in Marshall, Michigan using CATL technology. The facility would be a Ford subsidiary. Making the batteries domestically would enable Ford customers to access federal subsidies. The project was paused after lawmakers questioned the tax subsidies.[24][25]

CATL signs MoU with HKSTP

On December 7, 2023, CATL and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a CATL research center at the HKSTP with investment of over HKD 1.2 billion.[26]

In 2024 CATL announced Tener, a large scale stationary energy storage system. It is claimed to feature all-round safety, zero degradation over five-years and 6.25 MWh capacity per unit. It incorporates biomimetic SEI (solid electrolyte interphase) and self-assembled electrolyte technologies.[27]

Facilities[edit]

CATL operates thirteen battery manufacturing plants worldwide, namely in:[28]

Partnerships[edit]

Due to its main competitor BYD Company prioritizing battery supply to its own vehicles, CATL was able to capture partnerships with foreign automakers.[5] CATL's battery technology is currently used by electric vehicle manufacturers in the international market, and CATL collaborates with companies including BMW,[29] Daimler AG, Hyundai,[30] Honda,[31] Li Auto, NIO, PSA,[32] Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo and XPeng.[33][13] In China, its clients include BAIC Motor, Geely, GAC Group, Yutong Bus, Zhongtong Bus, Xiamen King Long, SAIC Motor and Foton Motor.[34][35] CATL also partners with Valmet Automotive,[9][10] BMW,[11] Ford,[19][20][24][25] VinFast,[21] and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.[26]

Technology[edit]

According to former Tesla battery supply chain manager Vivas Kumar, CATL "are seen as the leaders of lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP battery) technology". The company employs the cell-to-pack method to reduce the inactive weight of its batteries. It increases volume utilization rate by 15% to 20%, doubles the production efficiency and reduces the number of parts for a battery pack by 40%, while the energy density of a battery pack jumps from 140 to 150 Wh/Kg to 200 Wh/Kg.[36]

According to Kumar, unlike competitors such as LG Chem or SK Innovation, CATL is more willing to adapt outside technology, as opposed to applying a full in-house design.[5]

According to 36Kr, CATL prioritizes cost and operational efficiency over innovation for new products and production techniques. In production, standardization helps CATL reduce wastage, stabilize quality of products, and offer cheaper replacements for end users, but also restricts the company's ability to develop products for clients to match their designs.[33]

In 2024 Tu Le, of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, claimed that the US was "years behind" China in batteries, and that "if the US is going to be competitive on the global stage with EVs, through 2030 they’re going to have to use Chinese batteries".[37]

Security concerns[edit]

Further information: United States sanctions against China

In December 2023, Duke Energy disconnected CATL batteries from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune due to security concerns.[38][39] The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 prohibited US defense funding for CATL products.[40][41]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "CATL 2020 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  2. ^ "CATL Company Profile". catlbattery.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  3. ^ Kang, Lei (7 February 2024). "Global EV battery market share in 2023: CATL 36.8%, BYD 15.8%". CnEVPost.
  4. ^ "Global EV battery market share in 2022: CATL 37%, BYD 13.6%". 8 February 2023. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Tyler-Dudley, Davis; Ferguson, John; Liu, Sherry; Valdez, Kristopher (6 May 2021). CATL: China’s Battery King (PDF) (Report). Harvard Business School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2023.
  6. ^ "US-China Trade War Recap - 中美貿易戰回顧". THE KEITH & EVEN GROUP. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  7. ^ "World's 3rd largest battery firm may ally with VW for electric cars in China". Green Car Reports. 3 October 2017. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  8. ^ "CATL reports YoY net profit growth of 31.4% in 2017". Gasgoo. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Valmet Automotive and CATL form a strategic partnership in electric vehicle solutions – CATL invests in Valmet Automotive to become an important owner". valmet-automotive.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  10. ^ a b Forsell, Tuomas (30 January 2017). "Chinese battery maker CATL buys stake in Finnish car supplier". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  11. ^ a b c Geuss, Megan (9 July 2018). "Chinese firm will build battery factory in Germany to supply BMW, Volkswagen". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 9 July 2018.
  12. ^ "A Million-Mile Battery From China Could Power Your Electric Car". Bloomberg.com. 7 June 2020. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Tesla battery supplier Catl says new design has one million-mile lifespan". BBC. 8 June 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020.
  14. ^ "China's CATL unveils sodium-ion battery – a first for a major car battery maker". Reuters. 29 July 2021. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  15. ^ Doll, Scooter (12 October 2021). "Tesla supplier CATL announces $5 billion battery recycling facility". Electrek. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  16. ^ "2022 1H Global[1] EV & Battery Performance Review". SNE research. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  17. ^ "EUR 7.4 BN Battery Plant to be Built in Debrecen". hungarytoday.hu. 12 August 2022. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  18. ^ "Yibin factory becomes the first zero-carbon factory of "Ningwang". The competition of power battery has been upgraded from production capacity to "green" supply chain._SMM | Shanghai Non ferrous Metals". news.metal.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  19. ^ a b White, Joseph; Klayman, Ben (21 July 2022). "Ford announces series of deals to accelerate EV push". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  20. ^ a b Swanson, Ana; Ewing, Jack (21 July 2023). "Lawmakers Challenge Ford and Chinese Battery Partner Over Forced Labor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 22 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  21. ^ a b Scooter Doll, Scooter (31 October 2022). "CATL expands deal with Vinfast to provide skateboard chassis for EVs and 'enhance global footprint'". Electrek. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  22. ^ Bleakley, Daniel (27 March 2023). "Tesla supplier CATL to produce M3P batteries that will deliver big boost in range for EVs". The Driven. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023. The world's largest battery manufacturer CATL is to begin production of its M3P batteries, which are 15 per cent more energy dense than LFP (Lithium iron phosphate) batteries, and will perform better and cost less than nickel and cobalt-based batteries...The increased energy density now at (210 kWh/kg) will enable EVs like the Tesla Model 3 to get a range of around 700 km with a similar sized battery pack to the existing LFP batteries CATL currently supplies Tesla.
  23. ^ a b Shahan, Zachary (16 August 2023). "Transformational Fast-Charging LFP Batteries — Coming Soon". CleanTechnica. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  24. ^ a b Wayland, Michael (9 May 2023). "Ford to move forward with $3.5 billion EV battery plant with Chinese company". CNBC. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  25. ^ a b Li Q, Yan Z, Goh B (19 October 2023). Kim M, Fahmy M, Fenton S (eds.). "Chinese EV battery giant CATL reports sharp slowdown in profit growth". Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  26. ^ a b "宁德时代国际研发中心落户香港". Securities Times (in Chinese (China)). 8 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  27. ^ Lambert, Fred (12 April 2024). "CATL unveils Tesla Megapack competitor, claims zero degradation and more capacity". Electrek. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Company Profile". www.catl.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  29. ^ "Electric cars: China's battle for the battery market". Financial Times. 5 March 2017. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  30. ^ "Hyundai chooses Chinese battery supplier". Nikkei. Archived from the original on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  31. ^ "China's CATL to supply Honda with EV batteries through 2027". Nikkei Asian Review. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  32. ^ "PSA chooses LG and China's CATL for batteries in future hybrid car". Reuters Editorial. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  33. ^ a b "CATL is the world's largest EV battery maker, but can the company hold onto its leading position?". KrASIA. 6 March 2022. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  34. ^ "Battery Maker Helping Power China Electric Car Boom Plans IPO". Bloomberg.com. 1 September 2016. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  35. ^ "Global Li-ion Power Battery Industry Report, 2017–2020 with Focus on the Chinese Market – Research and Markets". Retrieved 29 March 2017.[permanent dead link]
  36. ^ "CATL, BAIC BJEV jointly unveil the world's first cell-to-pack battery pack". 30 September 2019. Archived from the original on 24 December 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  37. ^ Hawkins, Amy (18 March 2024). "CATL, the little-known Chinese battery maker that has the US worried". The Guardian.
  38. ^ Martina, Michael (7 December 2023). "Duke Energy disconnects CATL batteries from Marine Corps base over security concerns". Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  39. ^ "China's CATL denies 'espionage threat' accusations". Financial Times. 7 December 2023. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  40. ^ Singh, Kanishka (7 December 2023). "Key provisions of the US Congress' massive defense bill". Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  41. ^ "US to Ban Pentagon Battery Purchases From China's CATL, BYD". Bloomberg News. 19 January 2024. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.

External links[edit]

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