CATL Vice President and Director of Research, Wukaiassured, during a press conference, that the new m3p batteries that are being developed internally, are already being mass-produced at their facilities. Based on new chemistry, these batteries will be available for sale from next yearalthough for now there is no information about its technical characteristics and its price.
The new M3P electric car batteries are based on a new material system developed by CATL. According to the company, the result is a cell with higher energy density than LFP (Lithium Ferro Phosphate) batteries and lower production cost than nickel-rich batteries with NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese) or NCA (Nickel Cobalt Aluminum) ternary chemistries.
Wu Ha revealed the development of these new batteries during a presentation at the 2022 EV&ES World Battery Conference in Yibin, Southwest China’s Sichuan province. During a CATL presentation this week, CATL President Robin Zeng mentioned that the company was developing the M3P battery, but did not provide further details. It was the vice president and director of research who announced its entry into production.
A local Chinese press report from earlier this month drew widespread attention to CATL’s M3P batteries, which remain a mystery for now. On July 12, LatePost reported that CATL, Sunwoda and Eve Energy’s lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) battery had passed interim tests in the first half of this year.
The first samples were already being sent to automakers for real-world testing, according to CNEVPost with the goal of going into production this year which means it’s very possible that this is the M3P battery mentioned by Wu. However, on July 13, Southern Finance, citing some CATL investors as a source, claimed that the M3P batteries being developed by the company are different from LMFP batteries.
Theoretically, LMFP batteries can achieve a gravimetric density of between 210 and 230Wh/kg and a bulk density of 450-500Wh/litre what it means 15 to 20 percent longer than LFP batterieswithout this implying a significant difference in the cost of materials,
CATL is the largest battery manufacturer with an installed production capacity of 13.4 GWh in June this year. Its market share in China, according to July 11 data from the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance, is 49.6 percent.
