Guide to Buying EV
The Rise of EV Battery Technology in China
The Rise of EV Battery Technology in China
If you’ve been following news about EVs, you probably know that China has risen to dominate the battery market.china ev battery technology What you may not know is how it did so, and the reasons behind its success. This article will unpack two decades of Chinese government, company, and consumer investment that turned EV batteries from a research project into the foundation of an entire new industry.
China’s EV battery companies have become frontrunners in the global race to develop next-generation lithium-ion battery cells that can propel electric cars to longer range and faster speeds.china ev battery technology The country’s top maker, CATL (which stands for Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd), claims it has an edge with a proprietary design that uses graphite and electrolyte innovations to lower cell resistance. Its patented “temperature control” system rapidly heats cells to the optimal operating temperature for fast charging, enabling a car to go from 0 to 80% in 10 minutes.
CATL’s advantage is boosted by the fact that it mines much of the world’s supply of critical EV battery materials, including lithium, rare earth elements and cobalt.china ev battery technology Its operations also cover the full spectrum of battery production, from raw material mining to final assembly. Its combined exports of EV batteries, lithium-ion cells and solar cells in January and February of 2023 accounted for a total of 264 billion yuan ($36 billion), which drove China’s overall export growth by two percentage points.
It’s this head start, along with a strong talent pool and an emphasis on basic research, that has helped the country gain a foothold in the global market.china ev battery technology But its dominance has come at a price. For example, US Senator Marco Rubio has urged Ford to review its licensing deal with CATL on national security grounds, concerned that the company could be sharing core technologies with rivals in the West.
The same concerns are playing out elsewhere as China’s battery makers expand overseas. Some are establishing facilities in the US, Hungary and other countries with high environmental, safety and labor standards, which can pose serious challenges for their factories. And investigations by health officials have raised serious concerns about toxicity and other hazards in the work environment. MIT Technology Review’s China Report newsletter covers the latest developments in technology development in China. You can sign up here to get it in your inbox every Tuesday. Copyright
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