The China-based company said in a launch event for its new products that its Shenxing electric vehicle batteries could yield about 800 kilometres in driving range per charge, and can add 75 km of range in just 30 seconds of charging. CATL also said its new sodium-ion battery formula, Naxtra, is market ready for use in heavy-duty trucks. (The Logic) 

Talking point: If the technology works, EVs would rival gas-powered vehicles in terms of driving range. Meanwhile, CATL said its sodium-ion truck batteries will last longer than lead-acid alternatives, allowing truck drivers to use their air conditioning on hot days and reducing the risk they will be stranded by cold temperatures that would otherwise sap lead-acid batteries. The announcement comes a month after a breakthrough from fellow Chinese battery giant BYD, which said its new technology yielded 400 km of range with five minutes of charging, or about 80 km per minute, well above the nearly 22 km per minute offered by some Teslas. CATL said the sodium-ion Naxtra batteries could launch by the end of this year.