Chinese battery giant CATL has unveiled an EV battery said to be capable of delivering 400km (249 miles) of driving range with a 10-minute charge.

CATL says the Shenxing will achieve mass production by the end of 2023

Dubbed Shenxing – which means ‘god-like movement’ – the new 4C superfast charging lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery is also claimed to have a range of over 700km (435 miles) on a single full charge.

The EV battery giant, which supplies to Tesla, Toyota and VW, said the new battery would considerably alleviate fast charging anxiety for EV users, and opens up an era of EV superfast charging.

According to the business, Shenxing leverages super electronic network cathode technology and fully nano-crystallised LFP cathode material to create a super-electronic network, which facilitates the extraction of lithium ions and a rapid response to charging signals.

It’s said to combine superfast charging, high energy density and a high level of safety at the same time, advancing innovation in the battery industry. Other benefits include charging as normal at low temperatures. CATL says at room temperature, Shenxing can charge to an 80% state of charge in 10 minutes but it’s also claimed to enable a 0-80% charge in just 30 minutes in temperature as low as -10°C, and “uncompromised 0-100km/h acceleration performance at low temperatures”.

Dr Wu Kai, chief scientist of CATL, said: “The future of the EV battery technology must remain steadfastly anchored at the global technology frontier as well as the economic benefits. As EV consumers shift from pioneering users to ordinary users, we should make advanced technology accessible for all and enable everyone to savour the fruits of innovation.”

It’s expected to achieve mass production by the end of 2023, while electric vehicles equipped with Shenxing will be available on the market in the first quarter of next year.

Earlier this summer, Toyota revealed its own work in EV and battery innovations – its multi-point plans include long-range battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and all-solid-state batteries. The latter are seen as the holy grail of battery technology for their ability to provide cost-effective, fast and safe charging.

According to Toyota, its battery technology could potentially deliver a range of some 1,200km (746 miles) while giving a quick charge time of 10 minutes or less. A higher-level specification could advance this further, delivering a 50% improvement in the cruising range to 1,500km (932 miles). Toyota added that it’s currently developing a method for mass production, striving for commercialisation in 2027/2028.