Tesla LFP battery supplier CATL has opened a new factory in China. The first phase of CATL’s Guizhou production base has an annual capacity of 30 GWh, capable of producing a cell in 1 second and a battery pack in 2.5 minutes.
Chinese giant CATL, which is Tesla’s battery supplier, commissioned a new battery production base on October 27, according to CnEVPost. It is capable of producing an average of one element per second using highly automated production lines, according to a company press release.
The production base with a total area of about 0.95 square kilometers is being built in two stages. Their planned aggregate annual capacity is 60 GWh. The annual capacity of Phase 1, which has now been put into operation, is 30 GWh. The battery production facility has a total investment of approximately RMB 7 billion (US $960 million).
The first phase of the project uses a state-of-the-art production line with a 95 percent automation level, CATL said. This ensures high production rates and high flexibility. From material input to finished product output, the base can achieve production rates of one cell in one second and one battery pack in 2.5 minutes, the company said.
CATL is the world’s largest battery maker, according to South Korean market researcher SNE Research. Its global share is 36.9 percent between January and August 2023. The company is the only producer with a share above 30 percent. Tesla is actively using CATL battery cells to produce cars at its Gigafactory Shanghai. Tesla’s Chinese factory is its largest production center and export hub.
