CATL begins mass production of fifth-generation LFP batteries
CATL has started mass production of its fifth-generation lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, a move the company says brings notable gains in energy density and cycle life. Robin Zeng, CATL's founder, chairman, and CEO, announced the development at the 2025 World Power Battery Conference in Yibin, Sichuan, saying the new generation builds on the company's ongoing advances in battery performance.Zeng highlighted that the company's current fourth-generation LFP cells, already in mass production, outperform many of the industry's mainstream second- and third-generation products in energy density, lifespan, and power output. He also pointed to CATL's sustained leadership in ternary chemistry batteries, which underpin the Qilin and Freevoy product lines.
Earlier this year, CATL introduced the Naxtra sodium-ion battery to reduce dependence on lithium, improve safety, and cut carbon emissions. According to Zeng, Naxtra also addresses the poor low-temperature performance that limits many lithium batteries, opening new opportunities for electric vehicle adoption in colder, high-latitude markets. He added that CATL's progress in all-solid-state battery research and industrialization ranks among the world's leading efforts in that field.
Market data from SNE Research shows CATL remains the largest power battery maker globally, with a 36.6 percent market share from January through September. In China, the company led EV battery installations in October with 36.14 GWh, equivalent to roughly 43 percent of the domestic market. CATL reported strong positions across segments, holding a dominant share in ternary lithium batteries and a substantial share of the LFP market.
CATL said it supplied about 120 GWh of the roughly 200 GWh in China's lithium battery exports during the first three quarters of the year. The company employs nearly 150,000 people across 13 production bases worldwide and reported paying RMB 24.5 billion in taxes over the same period. CATL has invested more than RMB 80 billion in R&D over the past decade, including RMB 15 billion in the first three quarters of this year alone.
More than 20 million new energy vehicles worldwide now use CATL batteries, which the company estimates reduce CO2 emissions by about 14 million tons annually. Beyond passenger cars, CATL supplies batteries for commercial vehicles, electric vessels, and emerging low-altitude mobility platforms. Its Tectrans series is widely used in pure-electric heavy-duty trucks, nearly 900 electric vessels of various types carry CATL systems, and a two-ton eVTOL developed by the company has completed multiple complex flight validations while securing Type Certificate, Production Certificate, and Airworthiness Certificate as it pursues an Operation Certificate.
Manufacturer: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKG: 3750), headquartered in Ningde, China; a global leader in power battery manufacturing with extensive R&D investment and multiple production bases worldwide.
