On the basis of its battery solutions for electrified passenger vehicles, CALB is developing battery solutions for electrified commercial vehicles and continues to enlarge the scale of its investments in this area. The company recently announced that the Phase 2 of its Wuhan base has successfully manufactured the initial batch of the LFP PACK system. The LFP PACK system serves as the standard battery container of the company’s new generation of electrified commercial vehicle platform called “D-MIR”. It is a dual-row module solution that is strong and durable. CALB says the LFP PACK system meets G38031, which is the Chinese national standard for the safety of high-voltage electrical systems of electric vehicles. Furthermore, the product also been given IP68, the critical rating for batteries with respect to durability and safety through the entire operating lifecycle.
Source: CALB
Additionally, the LFP PACK system features a thermal management mechanism that covers a wide temperature range and weather conditions as well as a new battery management system that can ensure safe driving under harsh operating conditions. Since LFP battery offers a longer operating lifecycle, the LFP PACK system quality warranty of maintaining a single-charge driving range of 300,000 kilometers for six years. Hence, the products delivers more values to its users.
CALB already began the manufacturing of a new generation of high-end LFP batteries for the 800V platform at the Phase 1 of its Wuhan base. These batteries have been adopted by CALB’s clients in the automotive industry for powering the latest pure electric cars on the market. The LFP PACK system that is now being manufactured at the Phase 2 has been adopted by several major manufacturers for commercial vehicles. The LFP PACK system is expected to power and optimize the latest versions their mainstream model series.
CALB was established in 2007 and recently listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2022. The company’s offerings can be divided into ternary power batteries and LFP power batteries. As a Chinese battery supplier, CALB has set up manufacturing operations in many cities of its home country, including Changzhou, Luoyang, Xiamen, Chengdu, and Wuhan. Currently, it is building to major production bases in Chengdu and Wuhan.
The base in Wuhan is being developed in four phases. The Phase 1 and 2 entail a total investment of RMB 10 billion and comprises 10 production lines for power batteries with a combined annual production capacity of 20GWh. The Phase 3 and 4 entail a total investment of RMB 12 billion and is set to add another 30GWh of annual production capacity. Hence, the base will reach 50GWh per year once it is fully operational. This amount of production capacity will be enough to meet the battery demand from more than 500,000 electric vehicles per year. The agreements for the Phase 1 and 2 were signed in May 2021. The construction of the Phase 1 formally commenced in July of the same year. Currently, three production lines at the Phase 1 are operational. The Phase 2 is scheduled to enter operation in the second quarter of 2023. As for the Phase 3 and 4, the related agreements were signed in May 2022, and the construction of the Phase 3 began in June of the same year. At present, the main plant buildings of the Phase 3 are completed.
This article is a translation of a Chinese article posted by TrendForce. It contains information that is either sourced from other news outlets or accessible in the public domain. Some Chinese names are transcribed into English using Hanyu Pinyin.