Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has announced the launch of a new, fast-charging lithium iron phosphate (LFP) electronic vehicle (EV) battery. The company expects mass production of the battery to begin by the end of 2024.

The Shenxing superfast charging battery, designed for large-scale commercial consumption, will enable an EV to travel 400km from a ten-minute charge. It is the world’s first LFP battery with 4C superfast charging, meaning charging at a current of 12A above the diffusion limiting current.

The battery works over a wide temperature range, enabling a 0–80% charge in 30 minutes in temperatures as low as -10°C.

The company has employed fully crystalised LFP cathode material to accelerate the extraction of lithium ions from the cathode by extending the range of the electronic network.

Elsewhere, the graphite surface area of the anode has been coated with a porous layer that modifies the graphite’s properties, increase the number of pathways for ions to travel, thus expediting current conduction and speeding up charging.

CATL’s Gao Huan, CTO of its China EV business, stated: “While the superfast charging may currently be an option for high-end electric vehicles, we hope that through continuous efforts to improve technology and reduce costs Shenxing will become a standard product for every electric vehicle.”

The battery announcement is a boost to the Chinese company, which has faced criticism internationally in recent months. In July, US congressional representatives Mike Gallagher and Jason Smith penned a letter to US auto-manufacturer Ford, querying its relationship with CATL. The letter alleged that CATL was aligned with the Chinese Communist Party and linked with companies that benefit from forced labour to produce lithium. The representatives also called on Ford to end its relationship with CATL, owing to an increasing EV production standoff between the US and China.

Ford is set to utilise CATL technology in the construction of its new $3.5bn battery plant in the US.