- The two companies will co-develop fast-charging technology capable of powering EV batteries from 10% to 80% in less than 10 minutes.
- The strategic partnership comes as rival BYD rolls out 1,500-kilowatt ultra-fast chargers across China.
Chinese battery giant CATL and SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) have signed a strategic partnership agreement to collaborate on fast-charging technology and battery swap businesses.
The agreement, signed in CATL's headquarters city of Ningde, Fujian province, marks an extension of a nearly 10-year relationship between the two companies, according to a statement on Monday.
Under the pact, the two will jointly develop a fast-charging solution that takes less than 10 minutes to charge a battery from 10% to 80%.
As part of the tie-up, SGMW will select CATL as the core power battery partner for its entire lineup of more than 15 new energy vehicle (NEV) models.
SGMW's full range of battery swap models will be gradually integrated into CATL's nationwide battery swap network.
CATL plans to build more than 3,000 battery swap stations by the end of this year, aiming to provide EV users with a swap-and-go experience.
The battery swap stations will feature battery capacities ranging from 42 kWh to 56 kWh to meet varying driving range requirements.
The network is designed to flexibly accommodate a diverse range of vehicle applications, from micro EVs to A- and B-segment passenger cars, as well as commercial logistics vehicles.
Multiple models under the Wuling brand are slated to use CATL's Choco swap technology for passenger vehicles to replenish power.
A single Choco swap block is claimed to provide a driving range of about 200 kilometers, allowing users to select one or multiple blocks based on their actual needs.
The pursuit of ultra-fast charging technology highlights the increasingly fierce competition within China's NEV infrastructure market.
Rival BYD just launched the world's highest-power mass-produced flash charger in March, boasting a single-gun charging power of up to 1,500 kilowatts.
The new BYD equipment represents a 50% power increase over its first-generation flash chargers, with each charging gun capable of servicing up to 50 vehicles per day.
The Shenzhen-based automaker plans to build 20,000 flash charging stations across China by the end of this year and intends to roll them out to overseas markets.
Beyond deepening their charging network cooperation in the domestic market, CATL and SGMW will also jointly explore expansion opportunities overseas.
