Shanghai (ZXZC)- CATL has already plowed over 16 billion yuan ($2,510,867,200) into R&D businesses, Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, said on Tuesday at an industrial meeting held by Gaogong Industry Research Institute (GGII).

Zeng Yuqun; photo credit: CATL

Zeng delivered a speech to unveil the progress of CATL's new technology R&D. In terms of the innovation in battery structure, based on an all-new algorithm for BMS (battery management system), CATL has developed the AB battery system design solution, which is able to mix and match two types of batteries in a certain proportion and integrate them into one battery system. The combination can be LFP plus ternary-lithium batteries, or lithium-ion plus sodium batteries, etc.

Zeng said the AB design solution can break through the performance border of a single battery material and make two kinds of materials draw on each other's strengths.

The CTP (cell-to-pack), a technology CATL created to simplify the manufacturing and assembly of battery packs, has advanced into its third-generation, according to Zeng. He said CATL's R&D team has made great efforts to improve energy density, space utilization, thermal management system, and minimize thermal diffusion, in order to solve the pain points about battery range, safety, and lower temperature.

Zeng noted the innovation in battery materials is essentially a competition about computing capability. CATL is working on building a world-leading digital R&D platform, on which big data, cloud computing and AI technologies are utilized for battery R&D. This platform also helps CATL speed up the R&D of sodium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries, cobalt-free batteries, and other batteries free of noble metal.