In 2020, the energy density of power batteries in Ningde era will reach 300-350Wh/kg.

In July 2016, Dr.Engelhorn, Senior Vice President of Technology and Production of BMW Brilliance Automotive Co., Ltd. visited Ningde era New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “CATL”), marking the CATL after two years of testing, the power battery provided has been recognized by BMW, and CATL has become the only company in China that provides power batteries for international brand passenger cars.

In recent years, CATL's reputation has increased. Based on excellent product performance and huge capacity scale, CATL is considered by the industry to be one of the few competitors in China that can compete with Japanese and Korean battery companies. It is known as the “Whampoa special Academy” in the lithium battery industry.

Recently, the editor came to Ningde, Fujian Province, which is known as the "sea celestial capital". He visited the CATL which has been quite low-key and slightly mysterious in the industry. Under the introduction of CATL President Huang Shilin and others, an energetic and energetic CATL is presented to the world.

Start-up stood on the high starting point

In 2011, CATL was founded by a combination of ATL (New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., part of the TDK Group of Japan) and national capital. ATL holds a small amount of equity. CATL's founding personnel have been engaged in the lithium battery industry for more than ten years, and have rich industry experience in the procurement, research and development, production and market of power batteries. It should be said that CATL has stood at a relatively high starting point since its inception.

Under the leadership of the start-up team, CATL established two business segments, “power battery System for Green Transportation Network” and “Power Storage Solution for Clean Energy”, and quickly established a research and development base for power battery and energy storage system. . In 2012, CATL was selected into the national “Twelfth Five-Year” power battery innovation project. The goal of the project is to achieve a power battery energy density of 180Wh/kg by 2015 and a cost of 2Yuan/Wh.

From 2013 to 2015, ATL to sell CATL a part of the power battery assets, business, and its stake in CATL, CATL become pure Chinese companies. At the same time, the CATL gradually have materials, batteries, battery, battery recycling the whole industry chain of the core technology, products widely recognized by the market. In 2015, the CATL the successful completion of the national power battery "twelfth five-year" innovation project goal, also ranked third in its automotive lithium-ion battery production.

At present, CATL has established in-depth cooperation with top international automakers such as Germany and the United States and many well-known domestic automakers to develop and produce power battery systems for pure electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles for global customers.

Don't stop the pursuit of advanced technology

According to Shi-lin Huang, from its inception, CATL has been committed to launch faster, safer and more efficient and innovative products and technologies. On the industry development model, through the acquisition of related businesses, CATL have built "electric vehicle and energy storage" lithium battery industry chain, planning for the future will be out off the electric power to use arrangement in the storage battery.

In 2016, CATL was selected into the national “13th Five-Year” power battery innovation project. The goal of the project is to achieve a power battery energy density of 300-350Wh/kg by 2020 at a cost of 1 Yuan/WH (about half of the current cost). In addition, CATL has also been selected into the national “13th Five-Year” energy storage battery project. The project plans to increase the cycle life of energy storage batteries to 15,000 times (about 5 times current) by 2020.

If the cost of the vehicle power battery is reduced to half of the current cost, the cycle life of the energy storage battery is increased by 5 times. According to the CATL current industry development mode, the superposition of two factors, by 2020, Ningde battery costs will only one over ten the current of The Times.

"At that time was cheaper than lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries" Shi-lin Huang said: "but, to complete the target needs enough technology accumulation and continuous long-term investment.

To complete the national "much starker choices-and graver consequences-in planning related targets, CATL very confident. At present, there are more than 150 at CATL technology research institute, PhD, master of more than 1000.Each year on research and development spending is 5% of sales - 6%, reaching 600 million Yuan or so.

Shi-lin Huang said that at present, CATL is developing a fast-charge battery that can be filled in 15 minutes. The battery is expected to have mass production capacity in 2018, and its main application area is passenger cars. From now until 2020, CATL plans to invest more than 30 billion Yuan for R&D and capacity upgrades. The effective capacity in 2020 is expected to reach 50GWh.

Technological development is based on safety

The safe usage of power battery, related to the life and property safety of consumers. In an effort to improve the energy density at the same time, security of CATL will always regarded as the lifeline of the product.

In order to ensure product safety, first of all, CATL for product of the indicators, such as energy, security requirement is higher than the national standard; Second, the CATL's emphasis on product safety reaching out to new energy vehicles and downstream enterprise cooperation.

According to Shi-lin Huang, when the car companies design models, CATL actively involved, for car companies proposed thermal management, dustproof, waterproof, prevent short circuit, etc. In order to be sure, CATL attention even to the power battery installation "screw torque should be used, with what kind of tools" such a detailed level. In addition, the CATL set inside the monitoring center, power battery products loading after using real-time data will be returned to the monitoring center, the center staff 24-hour monitoring these data, the potential faults and has malfunction alarm of power battery products processed in a timely manner.

"Sometimes a fire accident is not a quality problem of the power battery itself, but is caused by abuse during use. For example, the electrode connection is not perfect, the battery protection is not enough, the charging technology is not upgraded in time, etc. Shi-lin Huang said: "If CATL finds that customers have inappropriate practices when using them, they may even refuse to supply them. CATL cannot push products with potential safety hazards into the market.

Because of long attaches great importance to the safety problems, by 2016, nearly 60000 cars carrying CATL power battery does not appear in the operation on fire accident caused by the battery.

Shi-lin Huang said that in order to get rid of the dependence on fossil energy and foreign traditional fuel vehicle technology, China has provided three-dimensional and all-round support to the new energy vehicle industry from national policies to local policies, from tax incentives to financial subsidies, and the country is very determined to develop the new energy vehicle industry.

"Power battery is the core of the new energy automobile industry. CATL hopes to improve the technical level of China's power battery through its own efforts and promote China's cornering overtaking in the field of pure electric drive technology of new energy vehicles. "Shi-lin Huang said.

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