CATL wants to turn plug-in hybrids into true electric cars with its latest battery: 400 kilometers of autonomy

A plug-in hybrid with greater autonomy than an electric one. Or electric, in extreme cases, with an internal combustion engine. CATL introduced a battery that blur the boundaries between both technologies, and this gives a clear picture of where China’s latest advances are pointing.

First, it’s helpful to define what a range-extended electric vehicle is. These cars are electric cars in theory, but plug-in hybrids in practice. The most significant case is the Mazda MX-30.

In this type of vehicle, the battery is large and allows the vast majority of trips to be completed in all-electric mode. The car always gives priority to electric mode and does not turn on the internal combustion engine until there is enough energy in the battery to drive the car. However, in a hybrid they can combine both technologies.

In the case of the MX-30, the car is also a serial hybrid. This means that when its electric battery is discharged, the internal combustion engine does not directly drive the wheels. A gasoline engine works like generator and produces electricity, which is stored in the battery. This electrical energy is ultimately used to drive the wheels.

So the internal combustion engine helps when we run out of battery, but the smooth ride experience remains the same as an electric car.

Now CATL has unveiled its Freevoy, a battery that does both but has a range of 400 kilometers and, above all, fast charging that virtually eliminates the need to pull a petrol engine.

Plug-in hybrid 2.0

We could call what CATL represents a huge evolution of the plug-in hybrid or range-extended electric vehicle concept.

In its presentation, the Chinese manufacturer focused on the 400 kilometers of battery life that its battery can provide (according to the dubious Chinese approval cycle, so we can expect worse performance in real-world driving conditions) and its fast charging.

The last part is without a doubt the most interesting part of the new component. CATL talks about 4C loads, which are the most advanced loads available. At the power corresponding to this protocol, the battery can charge 70% of its capacity in 10 minutes (about 280 kilometers).

This completely changes the way a plug-in hybrid or range-extended electric vehicle can be used. Firstly, because these are cars whose most modern batteries typically have a range of about 100 kilometers, so their electric range is greatly increased.

But primarily because these are cars that charge very slowly. Typically, plug-in hybrids can only charge using AC current, remaining at 22 kW in the best cases and a maximum of 11 kW in most. The Mazda MX-30 can charge with DC current, but its maximum power barely reaches 36 kW.

These limitations mean that once the battery is depleted, the car will only be able to operate as a conventional hybrid, and we will have to forgot to upload

completely fill the energy bank until we stop for two to three hours to fill it completely again in most cases and at best approach one hour if we charge with constant current.

Achieving such fast charging in a plug-in hybrid or range-extended electric vehicle allows us to use the car in all-electric mode, even when we drive long distances and only choose the combustion engine as a last resort.

Looking to the future in China

CATL’s decision is also not accidental. China is the country that buys the most plug-in cars. “New energy” vehicles, as they describe plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, make up nearly 70% of cars sold each month.

The country is without a doubt the market that buys the most electric vehicles, but in recent months customers seem to be showing more interest in plug-in hybrids. Although plug-in hybrids are always inferior to electric vehicles, there were more than 400,000 registrations in China last August. In addition to more than 600,000 electric vehicles, more than a million “new energy” vehicles were sold this month.

The trend is clearly bullish. Plug-in hybrid registrations have risen from 150,000 this year to nearly triple last August.

IN Bloomberg This trend was noticed already at the beginning of 2024. Plug-in hybrids are gaining ground in the Asian country in small towns and rural areas. These vehicles are typically more affordable than electric vehicles, while offering an alternative to them in places where EV chargers are less crowded.

In the economic newspaper they noted that they were good news for BYD and not so much for companies like Tesla or NIO, which do not have these alternatives in their product range. This last company, as SAIC will do with MG, has plug-in hybrids as a very serious alternative to the European manufacturers on our continent, as they strive to sell this type of car at a lower price than their competitors, and what’s more, they do so. No. They will be taxed at rates to be determined soon.

Photo | CATL

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