CATL CTO On The Truth About 3-Minute Charging, Sodium & Solid-State!

May 11, 2026

Recorded live at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Elliot Richards sits down with Dr. Zhu Lingbo "LB", CTO of CATL's International Business Unit, for a conversation about the battery technologies that are reshaping the automotive industry.

From 3-minute charging and 1,500 km batteries to the reality of solid-state development, this episode delves into the breakthroughs, bottlenecks, and global power struggle defining the future of EVs. 

 

LB Zhu explains how CATL’s latest Qilin and Shenxing battery platforms are pushing energy density, charging speed, and weight reduction further than ever before, and why the company believes lighter batteries may matter just as much as bigger ones.

 

In this episode: 

• CATL’s 3 min 44 sec charging breakthrough 
• 350 Wh/kg “Condensed State” batteries 
• Why EV weight is becoming a major battleground 
• The real timeline for solid-state batteries 
• CATL’s expansion into Germany and Europe 
• The future of battery recycling and circular supply chains 
• China vs Europe in the global battery race

 

0:00 CATL’s Vision for the Future of EVs 

2:18 Qilin vs Shenxing: CATL’s New Battery Breakthroughs 

5:41 3-Minute Charging: How Fast Can EVs Really Get? 

8:02 Sodium-Ion Batteries & the Next Chemistry Shift 

10:27 Why EV Weight Is the Industry’s Next Big Battle 

14:20 Why 500 Wh/kg Batteries Aren’t Ready for Cars 

16:15 The Truth About Solid-State Batteries 

19:06 Europe’s EV Slowdown & Global Electrification Trends 

23:18 Inside CATL’s Expansion Into Germany 

27:25 Battery Recycling & the Circular Economy Future 

31:48 What EVs Will Look Like in 2036

 

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