- New-gen LFP bus batteries last 15 years, CATL claims—20% longer
- CATL claims a 22% boost in energy density by volume, and 175 Wh/kg by weight
- Superfast Charging Edition goes up to 70% in 15 minutes
Chinese battery supplier CATL has unveiled a new battery pack for electric buses designed to tolerate the rigors of public-transit use.
The CATL Tectrans Bus Edition pack, officially revealed at IAA Transportation 2024 in Germany, is designed for longer-distance passenger buses, and it has an energy density of 175 watt-hours per kg—higher than other lithium iron phosphate (LFP) bus batteries.
It's one of CATL's new Tectrans battery packs for trucks and buses that it claims will last up to 15 years—a 20% extension based on tech improvements—or 1.5 million km (nearly a million miles), according to a presentation, with a warranty "that covers the entire vehicle lifecycle," Aleksej Krükov, the company's chief engineer of overseas business, said Monday at the show. Further, a Long Life Edition was pegged at 15 years or 2.8 million km (1.74 million miles), with battery swapping options.
Meanwhile, very fast charging is a key part of the products, too. In a Superfast Charging Edition, CATL claims a 70% charge in just 15 minutes—a feat that, for fleet operators would require megawatt charging.
CATL Tectrans Long Life Edition LFP electric bus battery
CATL Tectrans Superfast Charging Edition LFP electric bus battery
CATL told show attendees that it is currently in talks with 13 vehicle manufacturers to use the Tectrans Bus Edition battery in up to 80 models, according to CnEVPost, although it's unclear if any of these will be sold outside of China.
The new-generation battery packs range up to 600 kwh. They employ a new high-press-density cathode design that helps lead to these packs' 22% increase in energy density by volume. In the Superfast charging edition CATL has also worked to equalize temperatures across the pack.
The battery company has a wide range of potential customers, as many companies already build and sell electric buses around the world. In the U.S., China's BYD has made a lot of electric buses, as has specialist firms like Proterra and established manufacturers of internal-combustion vehicles. Mercedes-Benz has even built buses with solid-state batteries that marked the first use of that tech in a production vehicle.
CATL Tectrans Bus Edition battery pack
CATL has long been a major player in the passenger-car EV battery business, and has developed cell-to-pack tech as an alternative to conventional battery packs that the company has claimed can deliver a power advantage. It's now focusing more on commercial-vehicle applications with the Tectrans brand, which launched in July with two batteries for commercial trucks, including a long-range version and a fast-charging version that can be charged to 60% in as little as 12 minutes, according to CnEVPost.
While electric cars get most of the attention, electric trucks and buses are an important part of the emissions-reduction equation. A 2021 study estimated that a shift to electric trucks and buses could save 57,000 lives by 2050 by reducing air pollution and its associated negative health effects.
