SAIC-GM and CATL have jointly launched an LFP battery that supports a 6C charging multiplier and can get more than 200 km of range on a 5-minute charge.

General Motors' China joint venture SAIC-GM and power battery giant CATL have jointly launched the fastest-charging electric vehicle (EV) battery to date, as carmakers scramble to speed up charging to be more competitive.

The companies have jointly developed a battery based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry that supports 6C ultra-fast charging, SAIC-GM said, adding that it is the first of its kind in the industry.

C refers to the battery's charging multiplier, and 6C means that the battery can theoretically be fully charged in one-sixth of an hour -- 10 minutes.

The 6C battery can get a range of more than 200 kilometers or more on a five-minute charge, greatly easing range anxiety for users of battery electric vehicle (BEV) models, SAIC-GM said in a statement yesterday.

The battery will be operational starting next year on Ultium's quasi-900 V high-voltage battery architecture, according to the company. Ultium is the fundamental basis for GM's next-generation EVs, which it announced in March 2020.

The 6C battery uses a number of fast-charging technologies in the battery field to improve the efficiency of electrochemical reactions, enhance charging efficiency, and guarantee stable battery performance, SAIC-GM said.

A new electrolyte formulation improves conductivity and reduces electrolyte viscosity, enhancing lithium ion desolvation, according to the statement.

The Ultium platform will receive major upgrades next year, including the use of a new quasi-900 V high-voltage architecture, a new CTP structural design, and enhanced cooling technology, according to the company.

The fastest charging battery currently used in China's EV industry has a charge multiplier of 5.5C, but battery makers' quest for even faster charging speeds hasn't stopped.

Li Auto's (NASDAQ: LI) first BEV model, the Li Mega MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), is powered by a 5C battery that it jointly developed with CATL, making it one of the first models to feature such a fast-charging battery.

When Li Auto launched the Li Mega on March 1, it said the model could get a 500-km range on a 12-minute charge.

On August 13, Zeekr (NYSE: ZK) launched the 2025 Zeekr 007 sedan, which it claimed is the fastest charging production car.

The model features a second-generation Golden Battery with a maximum charging multiplier of 5.5C, Zeekr said at the time.

The new battery pack is capable of charging from 10 percent to 80 percent in 10.5 minutes, or adding 482 kilometers of CLTC range, Zeekr said.

On June 12, a report in local media outlet 36kr said CATL planned to launch a power battery with a charging multiplier of 6C in the second half of 2024, which would be the second generation of Qilin Battery.

Meanwhile, BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY), which had not released a new battery in three years, was also mulling the launch of a battery that supports faster charging speeds, according to the report.

BYD's second-generation blade battery would likely launch in the second half of 2024, and the company's 6C battery was also in the works, the 36kr report said, citing a person close to BYD.

CATL, BYD working on even faster 6C charging tech, report says