Zeekr first EV to run on CATL's Qilin battery

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd, the world's largest electric vehicle battery maker, said Zeekr, an emerging Chinese automaker owned by Geely Automobile Holdings, will be the first car brand to be powered by the company's Qilin batteries.

With a volume utilization efficiency of 72 percent and an energy density of up to 255 watt-hours per kilogram, Qilin batteries, CATL said, can deliver a driving range of over 1,000 kilometers.

The first model with Qilin batteries inside－the Zeekr 009－will be delivered in the first quarter of next year while the Zeekr 001, a more advanced version, will be rolled out in the second quarter.

"We are dedicated to enabling automakers to build global high-end car brands with leading electric vehicle battery technologies and solutions, thus promoting the global emobility transition," said Robin Zeng, founder and chairman of CATL.

On Saturday, CATL and EV manufacturer Seres announced that Qilin batteries will power the latter's new Aito models. Both Zeekr and Seres signed a five-year strategic cooperation agreement with CATL.

Industry experts said that Qilin batteries' application in car models will help shore up the overall new energy vehicle industry and related supply and industrial chains.

Data from Wind Info showed share prices of companies whose products may be related to Qilin batteries have been rising sharply since July, with their average growth at 9.84 percent. On Monday, CATL shares, however, fell 0.94 percent on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Jiang Yifan, investment consultant at Guotai Junan Securities, said, "The technical indicators of the latest Qilin battery are basically 10 to 15 percent higher than the traditional lithium iron phosphate batteries, so there's no doubt it's a big step forward for the battery industry."

Based on CATL's cell-to-pack, or CTP, technologies, Qilin batteries have achieved the highest system integration level worldwide so far, the company said. CTP refers to the direct integration of cells into a battery pack, without the modules.

Guosheng Securities said in a report that the official announcement of the mass-produced model of Qilin batteries came 65 days after its release, which is better than expected. Huaan Securities said the move will also drive the development of a new generation of battery materials such as silicon-based negative electrodes.

In the first six months of this year, the Ningde, Fujian province-based company earned a net profit of 8.17 billion yuan ($1.18 billion), up a staggering 82 percent year-on-year, on a revenue of 112.97 billion yuan, up as much as 156 percent.