- CATL said its 350 Wh/kg cells showed no thermal propagation when two adjacent cells were triggered at once, a world first.
- The battery is ready for mass production and will first be used in Autoflight’s passenger eVTOLs.
CATL (HKEX: 3750), the world’s largest power battery maker, said its aviation battery system developed for passenger eVTOLs (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) has passed a verification test showing no thermal runaway propagation when two adjacent cells were triggered.
It is the world’s first aviation battery system using prismatic cells with an energy density as high as 350 Wh/kg to pass such a test, CATL said in a statement on Sunday.
During the test, CATL simultaneously triggered two adjacent cells at different locations in the pack, including the middle and the corners, with no thermal propagation occurring.
The production, inspection and testing of the cells and the battery system were all witnessed by designated representatives of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), laying the groundwork for eVTOL aircraft to meet civil aviation safety standards, the company said.
Thermal runaway propagation is one of the core risks of high-energy-density batteries, and it is especially sensitive in aviation applications.
The industry typically verifies that propagation does not occur after a single cell is triggered. Triggering two adjacent cells at the same time is far more demanding.
CATL said the aviation battery system is ready for mass production and will first be used in passenger eVTOL aircraft from Autoflight, a company it backs.
The battery giant, based in Ningde, Fujian province, is trying to extend its technology beyond EVs into more areas, including electric vessels and electric aviation.
In August 2024, CATL signed an agreement with Shanghai-based Autoflight to become a strategic investor, exclusively investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the eVTOL maker. It was the first CATL investment in an eVTOL company to be made public.
In November last year, the two jointly unveiled a floating vertiport, a battery-powered vessel that integrates an eVTOL takeoff and landing platform along with photovoltaic energy storage and charging systems. It was billed as the eVTOL industry’s first integrated sea-air solution.
Autoflight was founded in 2017 and is one of the earliest companies in China’s eVTOL sector. Its cumulative commercial orders reached 2,000 aircraft as of November last year.
CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, had global EV battery installations of 242.7 GWh in the first half, up 25.3% year-on-year, for a 39.9% market share, according to South Korean market research firm SNE Research.
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