Chinese battery maker CATL bets on innovation, global leadership

With extensive research and development efforts and intelligent manufacturing processes, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd is dedicated to delivering high-quality batteries and gaining global competitiveness.

Based in Ningde, Fujian province, the company is a global battery manufacturer, boasting all three "lighthouse factories", which are recognized by the World Economic Forum and represent the highest level of global intelligent manufacturing, in the global lithium-ion battery industry.

CATL has set up 13 production bases and six research and development centers globally. As of June 2025, the company's batteries have been used in over 20 million vehicles and sold to 66 countries and regions worldwide.

Qilin battery, the third generation of CATL's CTP (cell-to-pack) technology, has a volume utilization efficiency of 72 percent, with an driving range of over 1,000 kilometers, already in mass-production.

Additionally, the battery features enhanced heat management, providing a unique solution to avoid excess temperature during fast charging.

"A new generation of products is under development, with new goals anticipated in the future," said Wu Zhenhua, chief engineer of CATL's domestic passenger vehicles.

Focusing on automation production efficiency and quality control, CATL put forward the concept of extreme manufacturing. With over 7,000 quality control points in the production process, a battery cell can be produced every second, and a battery pack in just 2.5 minutes, according to Wu.

Artificial intelligence plays a significant role in managing the huge amount of data and ensuring quality control during the automated production process.

Last year, CATL's research and development investment surpassed 18.6 billion yuan ($2.59 billion), and the company has attracted over 20,000 talents in the field.