News hardware Electric car: this new battery promises you 1,000 km of autonomy
Published on 06/25/2022 at 15:15
The big drawback of electric cars – their low autonomy, incompatible with long journeys – is it regarding to be resolved? The CATL group, an expert in battery-powered vehicle equipment, has just announced an accumulator with a record life of 1,000 kilometres. Scheduled for 2023, will this new kind of energy source, called Qlin, revolutionize the sector?
Record autonomy and ultra-fast charging
If you haven’t heard of it yet, Contemporary Amperex Technology, or CATLis neither more nor less than the world leader in batteries for electric vehicles, with a market share of 32.6% in 2021.
In this highly competitive field, CATL intends to strengthen its position, with an impressive battery capacity. called ” Do it “, in reference to a creature of Chinese mythology, this one would ensure a range of 1,000 kilometers. By comparison, the most high-end vehicle models currently on the market struggle to exceed the 800 or even 700 kilometer mark.
Our Qilin battery achieves the highest integration level worldwide so far, with a record-breaking volume utilization efficiency of 72% and an energy density of up to 255 Wh/kg. Find out more: https://t.co/OfmsZ1hAwx
— CATL (@catl_official) June 23, 2022
Not content with allowing drivers to drive longer, this battery would also be ultra-fast to recharge: the Chinese manufacturer announces a period of ten minutes to restore the accumulator at 80% capacity.
Redesigned architecture and better energy density
At present, and to summarize it schematically, the electric cars benefiting from the best autonomy are those which can carry the largest batteries.
The revolution promised by Qilin is to provide better performance, without increasing the volume of the battery. To achieve such levels of efficiency, CATL has therefore bet on a higher energy density, of the order of 255Wh per kilogram.
72% of the total volume of the battery is thus made up of cells, whereas the 4680 models, used in Tesla vehicles, for example, are “satisfied” with a volumetric space of only 63%. The key : a unique insulation and cooling systemwhich allows for a more optimal internal architecture.
Launch planned for 2023
CATL announces the start of mass production of these new generation batteries from 2023. The company does not specify, however, whether car manufacturers already intended to embed this revolutionary component in their vehicles.
In any case, the first electric cars equipped with Qilin should not see the light of day before 2024the time that the various manufacturers get up to speed.
It will then remain to be checked to what extent the promise will be kept, in particular on the point of recharging in ten minutes, which will probably depend on the power of the current in different territories.
