China’s CATL reveals 621-mile EV battery, under-7-minute charging to challenge BYD

CATL unveiled the Qilin battery, rated for up to 1,000 km of range, and the Shenxing battery, which can charge from 10% to 98% in under seven minutes.

It also said it will begin mass shipments of sodium-ion batteries and expand charging and battery-swap infrastructure across China.

The move raises the competitive bar for EV battery performance and reinforces CATL’s lead over rivals such as BYD.

Better range, faster charging, and more resilient supply chains could help speed up EV adoption.