CATL to build battery plant in Beijing

CATL is planning its first battery plant in Beijing - probably to supply Li Auto and Xiaomi in the future. Construction of the production facility is set to begin this year. CATL is not yet represented in the Chinese capital.

This was reported by the South China Morning Post, citing the city’s economic planning authority. Further details – such as production capacity and the exact location – have not yet been leaked. The CATL factory should help China’s capital to establish a complete supply chain for the production of electric cars, according to the article. Li Auto and Xiaomi, which are both based in Beijing and are working on model offensives, are the main customers for the batteries produced there in the future.

CATL is the world’s largest battery manufacturer. In the first eleven months of last year, the Group produced 233.4 gigawatt-hours of batteries, giving it a 37.4 per cent share of the global market. What’s more, CATL is following up with the market launch of its Shenxing battery before the end of the first quarter of 2024. This is an LFP battery with a 4C charge rate.

CATL is particularly strong in China but has not yet been active in the capital. In this case, the localization of production is primarily due to the interest of Li Auto and Xiaomi in CATL batteries. Li Auto currently has three range extender models, or what the company calls EREVs, on the Chinese market, but is now entering the BEV market for the first time with a model called Mega, which was launched in November. The car is a 5.35-meter-long van with a ‘Qilin’ battery from CATL on board. A supply relationship with CATL therefore already exists. According to previous information, Li Auto plans to launch three more BEVs on the Chinese market in 2024. In earlier statements, Li Auto had already announced five BEV models by 2025, which are to be based on an 800-volt platform.

Xiaomi does not yet have a vehicle on the market – but soon: the manufacturer known from the smartphone market presented its first electric car at the turn of the year. The Xiaomi SU7 is visually reminiscent of a Porsche. It is an electric saloon around 5 meters long and will be available with either a 220 kW rear-wheel drive or a 495 kW all-wheel drive. CATL batteries will also already be on board for the latter. In addition, Xiaomi boss Lei Jun recently spoke of having set up his own production facility for battery packs and having invested two years in the development of an 800 V battery pack with CATL.

scmp.com