Editor's take: While major automakers and Western governments remain entangled in geopolitical struggles tied to fossil fuels, Chinese companies continue pushing aggressively on EV technology. After rising to become the world's largest EV battery supplier, CATL is now claiming major progress on one of electric vehicles' most persistent friction points: charging speed.
CATL recently unveiled its new battery technology, promising improvements in some of the most difficult tradeoffs in EV performance. Its third generation Shenxing battery can be recharged almost fully in around six minutes, while also maintaining stronger efficiency in low temperatures and harsh weather.
CATL's new Shenxing is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery aimed at competing with BYD and other major battery makers. The company claimed in 2025 that it could add 520 km of range in just five minutes of charging. It is now pushing beyond that. The new battery reportedly charges from 10% to 98% in six minutes and 27 seconds, faster than BYD's Blade Battery 2.0.
For drivers unwilling to wait even that long, CATL says Shenxing can move from 10% to 35% in one minute. It can also reach 80% in three minutes and 44 seconds. Charging performance drops somewhat in colder conditions, though the company says it still reaches 98% in nine minutes at -30°C.
CATL says this unprecedented charging performance comes from achieving what it describes as the world's lowest internal resistance for ultra-fast charging, 0.25 milliohms, or 50% below the industry average. Other advances include Cell Shoulder Cooling Technology, which improves cooling efficiency by 20%, alongside a temperature sensing system designed to monitor each individual cell with high precision.
The Shenxing 3rd Gen also employs a self-heating system using rapid heating pulses to improve charging in cold conditions. CATL says the battery will retain 90% of its health after 1,000 ultra-fast charging cycles.
The company also continues to offer battery swapping, though the case for that approach may weaken if charging speeds reach this level.
During its Tech Day event, CATL also introduced the third generation of its Qilin lithium battery. The mythology-inspired ternary design matches Shenxing 3rd Gen charging speeds in a lighter package, while offering over 1,000 km of range and a volumetric energy density of 600 Wh/L.
According to recent market data, CATL remains the world's largest power battery supplier with a 48.3% share. BYD and CALB rank second and third at 17% and 5.9%, underscoring how decisively Chinese manufacturers now dominate the EV battery market.