Aiming at the extended-range vehicle market, CATL has unexpectedly introduced a dedicated new product.

On October 24th, CATL unveiled the Xiaoyao Super Extended Range Battery in Beijing. This battery boasts an all-electric driving range of over 400 kilometers and 4C fast-charging capabilities. Specifically designed for extended-range product power batteries, Xiaoyao addresses three major pain points of current extended-range products: first, small battery capacity leading to frequent charging and a poor user experience; second, poor low-temperature performance, making it inconvenient to use in northern regions and resulting in poor performance; and third, inaccurate SOC estimation, insufficient power, and the potential for loss of power under extreme conditions, such as during highway driving when the battery is low.

Regarding the market prospects of this product, Luo Jian, General Manager of CATL's Marketing Department, noted that the penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles in China reached 53% in September, surpassing 50% for three consecutive months since July this year. This indicates that electric vehicles have surpassed fuel-powered vehicles, becoming the preferred choice for most consumers. "No one wants to be in the minority in the mass market," he said. "We can anticipate that the full electrification of passenger vehicles in China will be largely completed within the next 2-3 years." During this process, extended-range vehicles will become one of the mainstream choices.

01

Resistance to Low Temperatures and Improved Integration Efficiency

So, how does CATL's Xiaoyao battery address these usage pain points? CATL CTO Gao Huan explained that extended-range vehicles have limited space due to the presence of range extenders, exhaust pipes, etc. As a result, there is relatively little space left for the battery pack in the vehicle layout, necessitating an increase in the material energy density of individual battery cells and optimization of battery usage efficiency to enhance overall driving range. The Xiaoyao Super Extended Range Battery achieves three major upgrades at the cathode material level:

Firstly, it employs a cathode material surface modification technology combined with an innovative high-voltage electrolyte formulation to form a "nanoscale protective layer" on the material surface, effectively reducing side reactions in the active layer and further expanding the usable battery capacity. Secondly, by introducing highly active excited-state particles into the cathode material, a dedicated high-speed channel is created for lithium ions, significantly enhancing their transmission efficiency within the material, enabling the vehicle to maintain electric drive even when the battery is low.

Finally, through the use of a high-precision SOC scenario model, BMS intelligent algorithms, and hardware upgrades, CATL has improved the SOC control accuracy of the Xiaoyao battery by 40%. This combination of material innovation and BMS intelligent algorithm optimization has increased the overall pure electric utilization rate of the Xiaoyao battery by more than 10%. Furthermore, CATL has conducted model data analysis on the charge-discharge polarization characteristics of the battery, accurately predicting the future discharge capacity of the battery, and implemented a multi-level power prediction control strategy for the battery, further enhancing the power performance of extended-range vehicles by 20%.

To enhance battery performance and reduce costs, CATL has incorporated its AB battery system integration technology into this extended-range battery. By integrating sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries within the same battery pack and positioning the sodium-ion battery in the low-temperature zone, this approach breaks the low-temperature bottleneck of the system, enabling the battery to provide an extended driving range at low temperatures. As a result, the Xiaoyao Super Extended Range Battery allows extended-range vehicles to deliver robust power output at -20°C, charge at -30°C, and discharge even in extreme cold conditions down to -40°C. Gao Huan noted that discharging the battery at low temperatures does not affect its lifespan.

What about the energy density performance of the battery after adopting the AB solution? According to Lei Wanbo, Chief Product Technology Engineer at CATL, the energy density requirement for the Xiaoyao battery to achieve a 400km driving range in an A-segment sedan is approximately 450-500Wh/L, while for a B- or C-segment MPV, it is around 600Wh/L. Different vehicle types have different energy density requirements.

02

Cost Optimization and SOC Accuracy Improvement

Of course, using the AB solution offers other benefits. Firstly, the addition of sodium-ion batteries can effectively reduce costs. Additionally, the AB battery solution can enhance SOC accuracy. However, CATL executives did not disclose specific cost changes per kWh of electricity for the vehicle. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that using larger batteries will increase the price of extended-range products. However, CATL believes that while the cost of individual batteries may increase within the overall vehicle configuration, the overall vehicle cost may not necessarily rise.

Gao Huan stated that with the addition of larger batteries, the entire extended-range system, including the engine controller, generator controller, drive motor, and drive motor controller, can be further integrated. At this point, the vehicle's requirements for the range extender are less stringent, providing significant cost optimization potential. Furthermore, as production scales up, cost control will become increasingly effective.

Regarding SOC accuracy control, CATL has developed a full-temperature range battery management system (BMS) technology that precisely calculates battery capacity based on the differences in low-temperature performance between lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. In this system, sodium ions serve as an accurate SOC monitoring benchmark, assisting in calibrating the battery capacity of lithium-ion batteries. This application has improved the overall system control accuracy by 30%. "Sodium ions make an excellent benchmark. When combined in an AB hybrid, the highly accurate SOC-OCV curve of sodium-ion batteries can be used to correct SOC," said Lei Wanbo, Chief Product Technology Engineer at CATL.

In principle, the lithium iron phosphate system operates within a plateau region, with a voltage fluctuation of 5-6mV across a 60% SOC range (from 30% to 90%). In contrast, the voltage fluctuation per 1% SOC in a sodium-ion system is approximately 10mV. Using static voltage to estimate SOC, sodium ions provide an excellent benchmark.

CATL stated that accurate SOC estimation brings two key optimizations: improved mileage estimation accuracy, reducing overestimation or underestimation; and ensuring consistent power output across different SOC levels. Inadequate power or inaccurate SOC estimation can cause extended-range vehicles to suddenly lose power, a critical issue addressed by the Xiaoyao Super Extended Range Battery. For example, using a small 18kWh battery to accelerate to 100-120km/h may require a 4C-6C discharge rate, but as battery size increases, the discharge rate decreases. CATL aims to halve the discharge rate while maintaining the same power output with a 40kWh battery.

"We aim to achieve a driving range of over 400km, with the ability to deliver performance comparable to a 2.0T fuel-powered vehicle, even at SOC levels of 10%-20% and temperatures as low as -10°C to -20°C," said Gao Huan. It is reported that the Xiaoyao battery offers a power increase of over 50% at low SOC levels.

In addition, CATL has also upgraded the safety of the Xiaoyao battery. Based on NP2.0 technology, it employs active isolation of smoke and high-voltage systems to prevent the spread of smoke and ignition. Gao Huan noted that the Xiaoyao battery is designed for a long lifespan of 15 years and can withstand over 4000 charge-discharge cycles.

03

Ambitious Market Goals

Following the product launch, the focus shifts to the market. Gao Huan noted that extended-range vehicle growth reached 109% in the first half of this year, far outpacing plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles. The extended-range technology is increasingly becoming a mainstream choice for passenger vehicles. In the medium to long term, CATL believes that the market share of extended-range and pure electric vehicles will be roughly equal at 50:50. Gao Huan believes that the introduction of high-range, large-capacity batteries, particularly the Xiaoyao battery combined with lithium-sodium AB technology, will further boost the market share of extended-range vehicles.

Gao Huan predicts that extended-range vehicles will further penetrate the A-segment market, with the dividing line between extended-range and pure electric vehicles potentially set at a pure electric driving range of 500km. In the extended-range market, Gao Huan anticipates the emergence of three tiers of products: in the A-segment market, priced around 100,000 yuan, top-end models may offer a starting pure electric driving range of 200km, mid-range models 300km, and top-end models potentially reaching 400km. In the B- and C-segment markets, priced above 200,000 yuan, and even the D-segment, extended-range vehicles are expected to offer pure electric driving ranges exceeding 400km.

"I can only say that our ambitions are quite large. We expect Xiaoyao to reach a significant volume by 2025, based on our internal estimates," said Luo Jian.

He added that the introduction of dedicated extended-range batteries is not just about capturing market share but also about leading the transition to new energy sources. However, some industry insiders believe that CATL's Xiaoyao battery is essentially a packaged hardware and software solution for battery packs, rather than just a battery cell offering. This is attractive to startups or OEMs eager to introduce large battery solutions. Furthermore, the space integration efficiency and size optimization of the Xiaoyao battery will also be appealing factors.

Currently, CATL's battery lineup includes the Qilin and Shenxing, with the addition of Xiaoyao, forming a relatively complete brand layout. Qilin represents high-quality ternary batteries, while Shenxing specializes in high-quality lithium iron phosphate batteries. This distinction makes it easier for consumers to choose the right product, and CATL believes that batteries will become an important differentiator for electric vehicles in the future. Consequently, CATL has launched a large-scale TO C strategic initiative this year.

"After establishing our brand system, we will gradually iterate within each brand, giving CATL an inherent driving force for technological and product self-iteration. It's not just about meeting customer needs but also about leading and driving customer demand," said Luo Jian.