CATL unveils its new battery for light commercial vehicles with 8C ultra-fast charging

CATL has just unveiled to the world the Tectrans II Superfast Charging Edition, its new battery specially designed for light commercial vehicles in the logistics sector. This battery stands out for being the first in its category capable of withstanding 8C ultra-fast charging, allowing it to go from 20 to 80 percent in just 6 minutes and 48 seconds, while a full charge takes less than 9 minutes.

These charging times thus approach what it takes to refuel a conventional combustion vehicle, solving one of the main bottlenecks of electrification in freight transport. With this new battery, the Chinese giant seeks to improve daily operational efficiency by reducing the time lost at charging points, maintaining good performance in cold climates and slowing the aging of the cells.

Among its main technical advances, a 50 percent reduction in the internal resistance of the cells compared with the industry average stands out, which minimizes heat generation during fast charging. In addition, CATL has modified the structure of the graphite in the anode at the atomic level to reduce the loss of active lithium and extend the battery’s service life. Even at -20 °C, charging time increases by only two and a half minutes compared with normal conditions.

Other relevant details to keep in mind

The company offers for this battery a warranty of up to 10 years or one million kilometers, matching its durability to that of the vehicle itself and improving the residual value of vehicles with high mileage. With the Tectrans II, CATL brings its ultra-fast charging technology to the light commercial vehicle segment for the first time. The Tectrans series (formerly Tianxing), launched in 2024, already included solutions for heavy vehicles and machinery, and this year it was expanded with batteries for light use, including sodium-ion versions.

It should be noted that in the passenger car field, CATL had already achieved similar milestones with its third-generation Shenxing batteries, which allow charging from 10 to 80 percent in less than 4 minutes.

On the other hand, and in parallel, the Chinese giant is deploying an extensive combined network of ultra-fast charging and battery swapping stations, suited to both passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. These infrastructures are designed for urban delivery, regional transport and cold-chain logistics. CATL aims to reach 4,000 operational stations in around 190 Chinese cities before the end of 2026, after recently raising its target.