CATL, China’s king of EV batteries, unveils new product for hybrid cars amid rising demand

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Freevoy battery offers 400km of driving range before resorting to the fuel tank, twice the current ‘normal’ capability, CATL says

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Gao Huan, chief technology officer of CATL’s EV business, speaks at the Freevoy launch event in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Yuke Xie

Daniel Renin ShanghaiandYuke Xiein Beijing

Published: 8:00pm, 24 Oct 2024

Contemporary Amperex Technology has unveiled its latest battery that enables a hybrid car to go as far as 400km without resorting to the fuel tank, enhancing its position as the world’s biggest maker of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

The firm known as CATL expects Freevoy Super Hybrid Battery to help expand its global market share and redefine plug-in hybrid vehicles, as more consumers in mainland China opt for cars powered by a combination of battery packs and combustion engines to overcome range anxiety.

“Freevoy is not just a battery, it is also an investment that can generate economic returns for car owners,” Gao Huan, chief technology officer of EV business at CATL, said at the product launch in Beijing on Thursday. “We expect Freevoy to take the hybrid vehicle market into a new era of higher standards.”

The move is opportune as Chinese EV buyers have been favouring hybrids over pure EV to ensure they can reach their destination without hiccups. All major EV assemblers in China bar Nio have developed extended-range EVs, or announced plans to do so, to capture rising demand.

CATL’s superfast charging battery, Shenxing, on display at the International Motor Show in Munich in December 2023. Photo: Xinhua

At 400km, the Freevoy battery can match the range offered by battery packs installed in pure-electric cars. A 10-minute charge can provide up to 280km of driving range. For comparison, batteries installed in plug-in hybrid cars normally offer less than 200km and premium pure EVs can go as far as 500km on a single charge.