Develops and manufactures lithium-ion battery cells, battery systems and energy storage for electromobility and industry.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL)
Ningde (CN) · Arnstadt (DE) · Debrecen (HU) · Yibin (CN)New on Amplifa
About CATL
CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited) is a manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems as well as battery management systems (BMS), founded in 2011 in Ningde, China. The company emerged as a spin-off of the EV battery division of Amperex Technology Limited (ATL). In addition to battery cells based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP), sodium-ion and M3P cathode technology, CATL manufactures battery packs and storage systems such as Tener (6.25 MWh), and offers battery recycling as well as skateboard chassis. Customers come from the passenger car, commercial vehicle, bus, two-wheeler, marine, construction machinery and rail transport sectors; customers include BMW, Ford, VinFast and Valmet Automotive. In Europe, CATL operates a battery plant in Arnstadt (Germany) and is building a second one in Debrecen (Hungary). The headquarters with the largest manufacturing site is located in Ningde, Fujian province, China; the Yibin plant was certified as the world's first zero-carbon battery factory.
- Site
- Ningde
- Processes
- Manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries (electric vehicles), Manufacturing of battery energy storage systems (ESS), Development and manufacture of battery management systems (BMS), Battery recycling / material recovery, Skateboard chassis supply (electric vehicle platform), Battery management systems (BMS), Energy storage systems, Battery recycling
- Materials
- Lithium iron phosphate (LFP), Sodium-ion, Cobalt, M3P (magnesium, zinc, aluminium combined), Lithium, M3P (magnesium/zinc/aluminium cathode)
- Founded
- 2011
- Industries
- Electric vehicles (passenger cars), Commercial vehicles/buses, Two-wheelers, Ships, Special-purpose vehicles, Construction machinery
- 01
Raw material sourcing (including cobalt, lithium)
- 02
Cell development (LFP, sodium-ion, M3P)
- 03
Cell manufacturing
- 04
Module and pack assembly
- 05
Battery management systems
- 06
Recycling/material recovery
Cell chemistries and technologies
Lithium iron phosphate (LFP)
Base chemistry for vehicle batteries, storage systems and the Shenxing fast-charging battery.
Sodium-ion
Cell chemistry for the automotive market, introduced in 2021.
M3P (magnesium/zinc/aluminium cathode)
Replaces iron in the LFP cathode and achieves 210 Wh/kg (15% higher energy density).
Cobalt
Raw material for cobalt batteries; stake of approximately 25% in the Kisanfu mine (DR Congo).
Lithium
Key raw material of lithium-ion cell manufacturing and the recycling process.
Sites
Ningde
CNHeadquarters and main manufacturing site (Manufacturing Hub)
- Materials
- LFP, sodium-ion, M3P
Arnstadt
DEBattery plant (Europe)
- Materials
- Lithium-ion
Debrecen
HUBattery plant (Europe, announced 2022)
- Materials
- Lithium-ion
Yibin
CNManufacturing site (world's first zero-carbon battery factory)
- Materials
- LFP
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries (electric vehicles)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Lithium-ion, Lithium iron phosphate (LFP), Cobalt, Sodium-ion, M3P (magnesium/zinc/aluminium cathode) |
| Manufacturing of battery energy storage systems (ESS)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) |
| Development and manufacture of battery management systems (BMS)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Battery recycling / material recoveryOther | – | – | – | – | Cobalt, Lithium |
| Skateboard chassis supply (electric vehicle platform)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery plant | CATL | – | – | – | Arnstadt, Thuringia, Germany |
| Battery plant | CATL | – | – | – | Debrecen, Hungary |
| Battery plant (zero-CO2 certified) | CATL | – | – | – | Yibin, China |
| Battery plant (technology licensing, Ford subsidiary) | Ford / CATL | – | – | – | Marshall, Michigan, USA |
| Headquarters plant / Manufacturing Hub | CATL | – | – | – | Ningde, Fujian, China |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 1999
Robin Zeng founded Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), the predecessor of CATL.
- 2005
ATL was acquired by TDK; Zeng remained a manager.
- 2011
Founding of CATL in Ningde as a spin-off of ATL's EV battery division by investors around Zeng and Huang Shilin (85% stake).
- 2012
Cooperation with BMW Brilliance, the first major customer.
- 2016
CATL was the world's third-largest supplier of EV/HEV/PHEV batteries.
- 2017
Global market leader in battery sales (11.84 GWh); strategic partnership and 22% stake in Valmet Automotive.
- 2018
IPO on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange; €4 billion contract with BMW; announcement of the Arnstadt battery plant.
- 2020
Announcement of a battery with a 1 million mile (1.6 million km) service life.
- 2021
Presentation of a sodium-ion battery; approximately 25% stake in the Kisanfu cobalt mine in the DR Congo.
- 2022
Global market leader with a 34% market share (H1); plant plans for Debrecen; Yibin certified as the world's first zero-carbon battery factory; agreements with Ford and VinFast.
- 2023
M3P battery (210 Wh/kg) and Shenxing LFP fast-charging battery presented; MoU with HKSTP (over HKD 1.2 billion); 1,799 PCT patent applications; planned JV with Stellantis.
- 2024
Presentation of the stationary energy storage system Tener (6.25 MWh, no degradation over 5 years).