New CATL battery aims to dispel range anxiety for hybrid vehicle drivers

Contemporary Amperex Technology, or CATL, China's largest automotive lithium-ion battery maker, launched its Freevoy Super Hybrid Battery on Thursday.

The new battery, the world's first hybrid vehicle battery to achieve a pure electric range of over 400 kilometers and featuring superfast charging, will boost the full electrification process of passenger cars in China.

Designed for hybrid extended range electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, CATL's Freevoy frees drivers from the constant need to charge, a common drawback of existing hybrid vehicles.

It offers one charge to power an entire week's commute and delivers superfast charging speeds, providing over 280 kilometers of range on 10 minutes of charging, effectively dispelling range anxiety for hybrid vehicle drivers.

CATL's sodium-ion battery technology is also implemented in the Freevoy, breaking the low-temperature limitations of new-energy vehicles. It achieves discharge capability in extreme cold environments down to minus 40 degrees Celsius, which allows new-energy vehicles to work well in the northern region of China.

Consumers have increasingly expressed frustration at the shortages of pure electric and hybrid vehicles, including short range, slow charging, and reduced low-temperature performance. CATL's technology improvements, such as the new Freevoy, would boost the full electrification process in China, within two or three years, according to CATL.

The Freevoy has already been used on numerous models by various brands, including Li Auto, AVATR, DEEPAL, CHANGAN NEVO and NETA. By 2025, about 30 hybrid vehicle models from brands including Geely, Chery, GAC, and VOYAH, equipped with CATL's Freevoy, are scheduled to be on the roads.