CATL condensed batteries promise to double electric vehicle range by 2024

CATL set out to revolutionize both the automotive industry and electric aviation, hand in hand with his new capacitor banks. Taking advantage of their presence at the Shanghai Auto Show, the Chinese brand has officially unveiled this interesting technology. Thanks to her, he assures that he can offer more than twice the energy density offered today by conventional lithium-ion batteries.

According to CATL, the energy density of its capacitor banks reaches 500 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg). This is a huge leap from what is currently being offered, as lithium-ion battery cells widely used in electric vehicles have a capacity of just over 200 Wh/kg. Some more advanced designs, such as the Tesla 4680 batteries, are estimated to have an energy density of 244 Wh/kg.

But what’s really interesting is that the new CATL design far exceeds the energy density promised by the expected semi-solid battery developed by NIO with WeLion. The latter offers 360 Wh/kg in the 150 kWh storage version, which gives an estimated autonomy of around 1,000 kilometers in vehicles such as the NIO ET5 and ET7.

Condensed batteries for electric vehicles This year they will begin to be mass-produced., says KATL. At the same time, its commercialization will begin in 2024, although so far the Chinese company has avoided talking about prices. This means that at this point in time, the production costs and the final figures that must be paid to gain access to this technology in future electric vehicles are unknown. Although we can assume that they will not be cheap.

CATL wants to revolutionize electric mobility (by land and air) with its new capacitor banks.

It’s important to remember that CATL’s idea is not just to put their capacitor banks into the electric vehicles of the future. In fact, the Asian company explained that the main focus of this development is its implementation. in passenger aircraft. However, it is still unknown what type of aircraft it could have been used on and since when.

To achieve an energy density of 500 Wh/kg, the developers created what was defined as “adaptive structure in micrometer scale and in grid form”. According to Wu Kai, chief scientist at CATL, he is responsible for regulating the interaction forces between electrochemical reactions. But that’s not all, as a high-energy cathode was also implemented, a new type of anode and special films designed for thermal insulation were developed.

CATL guarantees that its new capacitor banks have been built in accordance with the directives and standards of the aerospace industry. Which, of course, is not surprising, given the desire to implement them in the field of civil aviation. Although this is also intended to demonstrate that using batteries with twice or more the energy density of most current lithium-ion batteries It is safe.

Of course, there are still a few unanswered questions regarding the performance of capacitor banks. Especially with regard to How much will the autonomy of the vehicles that use them benefit?. There is already speculation that from 2024 we may see electric vehicles with twice the autonomy of those using conventional batteries. Although it is not yet clear whether doubling the energy density necessarily means that the kilometers that need to be traveled on a charge are doubled. At least with this new technology.

What is clear is that CATL is up to something serious with its capacitor banks. The development that could be the key to the next electromobility revolution; both by land and by air.