Will new batteries give China’s EVs the jolt they need to charge past their rivals?

On a cloudy evening in late April, a tech event hosted at Beijing’s National Convention Centre by Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) drew nearly 1,000 people eager for a glimpse of next-generation electric vehicle (EV) batteries that could reshape the global automotive landscape.Gao Huan, chief technology officer for the auto business at CATL, the world’s largest producer of EV batteries, exuded confidence while promoting the new Shenxing product series.According to the company, its new, third-generation battery can charge from 10 to 98 per cent in under six and a half minutes. BYD’s second-generation Blade battery, by contrast, takes nine minutes to charge from 10 to 97 per cent.