JAKARTA - Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), the world's battery manufacturing giant, officially launched the Tianxing II series of light commercial vehicle batteries. One of its main highlights is the low-temperature version which is the first mass-produced sodium ion battery in the industry.
Launching Carnewschina, Friday, January 23, this sodium ion variant carries a capacity of 45 kWh with an energy density of 175Wh/kg and a cycle life that is claimed to exceed 10,000 cycles. CATL also calls the battery the world's first to obtain certification based on the latest national standard GB 38031-2025.
The battery is designed to be a power source for small/micro vans and light trucks. The main advantage of this sodium ion battery lies in its performance in cold weather, which has been a major challenge for commercial electric vehicles.
At an extreme temperature of -40 degrees Celsius, the battery is claimed to still be able to maintain 90 percent of its usable capacity. Furthermore, the system allows direct charging even though the battery freezes at -30 degrees Celsius, so it can reduce the operational obstacles of commercial vehicles in low-temperature areas.
CATL also emphasizes the economic factor of this technology, sodium is said to be more than 1,000 times more abundant in the earth's crust than lithium, while the cost of extracting it is only about 1/20 of lithium. With a cheaper and more abundant material base, CATL projects that sodium ion technology can be a way to reduce battery costs while improving the economic viability of light commercial electric vehicles in the long term.
In addition to the low-temperature sodium ion version, the Tianxing II series also includes three other lithium ion-based variants. First, the Fast Charging Version is claimed to be able to charge from 20 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.
On a standard electric vehicle with a 100 kWh battery, a single fast charge can add about 150 kilometers of range. Second, the so-called Long Range Version sets a new record for the light commercial vehicle segment, with a single pack capacity of 253 kWh and a maximum range of up to 800 km.
This variant is intended for long-distance logistics needs between cities. If combined with the Taishan CATL package architecture, the vehicle weight is claimed to be reduced by about 260 kg compared to batteries of equivalent capacity, so that the effective load increases and energy consumption is more efficient.
Finally, there is the High Temperature Fast Charging Version which is focused on short-distance delivery and the needs of personal vehicles, especially in the southern region with hot climates. This battery carries a customized liquid cooling thermal management system, to maintain fast charging performance while maintaining battery life in high-temperature environments.
CATL considers this variant suitable for light commercial scenarios with short-distance and high-frequency patterns, such as supermarket delivery and community distribution. For information, Tianxing is the first commercial vehicle-specific battery brand launched by CATL in July 2024.
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