New electric car battery breakthrough debuts: Next-gen batteries from CATL to have longer life and could find their way into utes and vans from Foton, Geely and JAC

Chinese companies are streets ahead when it comes to battery tech, and the newest cells could be game changers.

CATL, the world’s biggest supplier of electric car batteries, has debuted a range of new batteries that can last longer than any other according to CarNewsChina.

The batteries are designed for commercial vehicles, but the tech could trickle down into passenger cars, too.

Its Tectrans T battery is designed for heavy trucks and has a lifespan of 2.8 million kilometres and 15 years.

Most electric car batteries are only guaranteed for about 160,000km and eight-years.

There is a superfast charging version of the Tectrans T battery that can replenish 70 per cent in 15 minutes. What makes this claim so impressive is the battery is an enormous 600kWh. A standard electric car battery is between 60-80kWh.

This superfast charging battery doesn’t have as long a life span at 1.2 million kilometres and eight years.

Super fast charging, extreme temperatures and the amount of full charges completed can all affect the life of a battery.

An electric car’s battery is considered over once it can only hold about 70 per cent of its original capacity.

CATL has also developed a new range of batteries for light commercial vehicles such as utes and vans, which is more relevant to th everyday Australian buyer.

Dubbed the Tianxing-L, the long range version can deliver a driving range of 500km under real-world working conditions. It’s a monster battery, though, with a 200kWh capacity.

A superfast charging version can add 60 per cent of its 140kWh capacity in 12 minutes, but is only capable of driving 350km in real world conditions according to CATL.

CATL guarantees the batteries for 800,000km and eight years.

These batteries could soon be fitted to Australian delivered vehicles through brands such as Foton, Geely and JAC, which already use CATL’s commercial batteries and either do, or plan to, sell electric commercial vehicles here.

Battery tech is firming as the new battleground for carmakers with Chinese brands leading the charge.

MG’s parent company, SAIC, recently announced it will start fitting solid state batteries to its vehicles from next year.

Solid state batteries are often touted as the silver bullet for mass electric car adoption and could be the tipping point to make sports cars, 4WDs and utes EV compatible.

The batteries are smaller, lighter, faster charging, more energy dense and less prone to fire than conventional lithium-ion batteries.

This is achieved by using a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid or gel used in conventional units.

GWM are also in the hunt for solid state batteries and Toyota and Nissan are targeting 2027 and 2028 respectively to have them in their vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are close to getting production ready solid state batteries, too, through their third party partnerships.