Company profile · Electric vehicles and batteries
CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology)
宁德时代新能源科技股份有限公司
CATL is the world's largest maker of electric-vehicle batteries, supplying Tesla, Volkswagen, BMW, Ford and most Chinese car makers from its base in Ningde, Fujian; it also leads in stationary energy storage and licenses its technology to plants abroad.
Key facts
Overview
Contemporary Amperex Technology was spun out of the consumer-battery maker ATL in 2011 by Robin Zeng to focus on automotive cells, just as China's subsidy programme for electric vehicles began. Within a decade it was the world's largest EV battery supplier, with roughly a third of the global market, plants across China and in Germany (Erfurt) and Hungary (Debrecen), and technology licensing deals in the United States. It listed in Shenzhen in 2018 and in Hong Kong in May 2025 in one of that year's largest IPOs.
CATL produces lithium-iron-phosphate and nickel-manganese-cobalt cells, packs and cell-to-pack systems, sodium-ion cells, and stationary storage systems; it has moved into battery swapping, recycling and mining stakes to secure lithium and nickel.
Market position
Global leader in EV batteries by volume, ahead of BYD and the Korean makers, and the largest supplier of energy-storage cells. Its position rests on manufacturing scale, a broad customer list and continued technology lead in LFP and fast-charging cells.
Key strengths
- Largest EV battery output in the world
- Customer list spanning Tesla, VW, BMW, Mercedes, Ford, Toyota and Chinese makers
- Plants in Germany and Hungary serving European car makers
- Energy-storage leadership
- Sodium-ion, fast-charging and cell-to-chassis technology
What the company does
EV batteries
- LFP and NMC cells
- Battery packs and cell-to-pack systems
- Fast-charging Shenxing and Qilin platforms
Energy storage
- Utility-scale storage systems
- Commercial and industrial storage
Services and technology
- Battery swapping (EVOGO)
- Licensing and technical services for overseas plants
- Recycling through Brunp
Present in about 20 countries. Regions: China, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, United States (licensing). Erfurt plant operating since 2022; Debrecen plant ramping; Spanish joint venture with Stellantis announced.
For a foreign counterparty
- Scale and price
- The largest volume and the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour among major suppliers.
- European capacity
- Local production in Germany and Hungary for EU car makers reduces tariff and logistics exposure.
- Storage systems
- A leading supplier for grid and commercial storage projects worldwide.
Considerations
- US restrictions
- Listed by the US Department of Defense in January 2025 as a 'Chinese military company' (Section 1260H), which restricts US defence procurement and affects some partnerships; CATL contests the designation.
- Export rebate change
- China cut the export VAT rebate on batteries to 6 % on 1 April 2026 and will end it on 1 January 2027, raising export prices.
- Customer concentration in China
- Chinese car makers are the largest customers; a slowdown or price war in China affects margins.
Milestones
- 2011-12 — Founded in Ningde, Fujian
- 2018-06 — Listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange
- 2022-12 — Erfurt, Germany plant begins cell production
- 2023 — Tesla, Ford and other technology-licensing arrangements announced
- 2025-01 — Added to the US Department of Defense 1260H list
- 2025-05 — Hong Kong listing raises about 4.6 billion US dollars
- 2026-03 — 2025 results: revenue 423.7 billion yuan, net profit 72.2 billion yuan
Official site: www.catl.com
Frequently asked questions
Other companies in electric vehicles and batteries: BYD
Sources
- CATL reports record financial results in 2025 — CarNewsChina (retrieved 6 September 2026)
- CATL — investor relations and annual reports — CATL (retrieved 6 September 2026)
- DoD releases list of Chinese military companies (Section 1260H), January 2025 — US Department of Defense (retrieved 6 September 2026)
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