What CATL does
CATL stands for Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited. The Chinese battery maker, established in 2011, is based in Ningde, Fujian province. It makes lithium-ion battery systems for passenger and commercial vehicles, builds grid storage systems, recycles batteries and offers battery-swapping services. Its shares have traded in Shenzhen since 2018 and in Hong Kong since May 2025.
Product lines include Shenxing fast-charging batteries, Qilin batteries, Freevoy batteries for hybrids, TENER grid storage units and Naxtra, a sodium-ion battery. Sodium-ion batteries use sodium instead of lithium. CATL reported sales of 661 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of lithium-ion batteries in 2025 and production capacity of 772 GWh.
Why it matters
SNE Research data reported by electrive rank CATL as the largest supplier of electric-vehicle batteries. The data give it 39.9% of global use in the first half of 2026, ahead of BYD at 14.4% and LG Energy Solution at 8.6%. CATL reported revenue of RMB 423.7 billion and net profit of RMB 72.2 billion for 2025. In the first half of 2026 revenue rose 54.8% to RMB 276.9 billion, its interim results show.
CATL has drawn scrutiny in the United States. The Department of Defense listed it as a Chinese military company in a Federal Register notice published January 7, 2025. CATL called the designation a mistake and says it has never engaged in military business. On May 21, 2026, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party criticized JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America for underwriting CATL's Hong Kong listing. The committee alleged that CATL has ties to forced labor and China's military. CATL denied the allegations and said it had filed a request to be removed from the list. On September 9, 2026, electrive reported, citing InsideEVs, that U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had urged Ford to reconsider its ties to Chinese companies. The report said that includes Ford's use of licensed CATL technology at a Michigan battery plant. Ford replied that it owns and operates the plant.
Recent developments
- September 22, 2026: CATL began trial production on the first two cell lines at its plant in Debrecen, Hungary, planned to reach 100 GWh. Electrive reported that production at the €7.34 billion project, expected in spring 2026, had been delayed several times.
- September 2026: Li Auto, among CATL's four largest customers as recently as April, began replacing CATL cells with cells of its own design made by Sunwoda, electrive reported, citing CarNewsChina.
- August 2026: Occupational safety authorities in Hungary's Hajdú-Bihar County suspended work in three areas of the Debrecen cell building, electrive reported, citing Hungarian media. That came after nine employees showed elevated nickel exposure, it said.
- June 2026: CATL launched a sodium-ion grid storage system and said deliveries in China would begin in September 2026. Electrive, citing Chinese media, reported that CATL's Jianxiawo lithium mine in Jiangxi resumed operations on June 29 after a halt of almost a year.
- April 2026: CATL said Naxtra sodium-ion batteries would reach full-scale mass production by the end of 2026.
- November 2025: CATL and Stellantis broke ground on a battery plant in Zaragoza, Spain, with investment of up to €4.1 billion.
What to watch
- Whether Debrecen moves from trial runs to full production while Hungary's new government re-examines investment projects agreed under its predecessor.
- The outcome of CATL's request to be removed from the Pentagon list.
- CATL's plan to begin small-scale solid-state battery production in 2027, as electrive reported in August 2026. Chief executive Robin Zeng said in June 2026 that he does not expect mass-market adoption before 2030.
CATL timeline
CATL starts trial production on the first two cell lines at its Debrecen plant in Hungary, planned to reach 100 GWh of capacity.
Source: CATL
Authorities in Hungary's Hajdú-Bihar County suspend work in three areas of the Debrecen cell building after nine employees show elevated nickel exposure, electrive reports.
Source: electrive
CATL reports first-half 2026 revenue of RMB 276.9 billion, up 54.8%, and net profit of RMB 43.28 billion.
Source: CATL
A U.S. House select committee report faults JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America for underwriting CATL's Hong Kong listing; CATL denies its allegations.
Source: U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
CATL reports 2025 revenue of RMB 423.7 billion and net profit of RMB 72.2 billion, with 661 GWh of lithium-ion battery sales.
Source: CATL
CATL lists on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 3750, offering 135 million shares at HKD 263 each.
Source: CATL
A U.S. Department of Defense notice in the Federal Register lists CATL as a Chinese military company; CATL calls the designation a mistake.
Source: U.S. Department of Defense
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) is established.
Source: CATL
Sources
- Company Profile, CATL
- Zero-Carbon Technology Powers "All-Domain Growth": CATL Releases 2025 Annual Report, CATL
- Interim Results Announcement for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2026, CATL
- CATL Announces Listing on HKEX to Power Global Zero-Carbon Economy, CATL
- Notice of Availability of Designation of Chinese Military Companies (Federal Register, January 7, 2025), U.S. Department of Defense
- CATL Statement on US "Chinese Military Company" List Inclusion, CATL
- CATL Statement Regarding May 21, 2026 U.S. Congressional Report, CATL
- JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America Helped a Chinese Military Company Raise Billions of Dollars, U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
- CATL Debrecen Kicks Off Trial Operations in its New Cell Building, CATL
- CATL Unveils Six Major Innovations: Multi-Chemistry Systems to Redefine New Energy Mobility Experience, CATL
- CATL Debuts World's First Field-Validated Sodium-Ion BESS, Bringing Sodium Storage to Commercial Reality, CATL
- CATL, Stellantis break ground on battery plant in Spain, CATL
- CATL Expands Its Lead in the Global Battery Market, electrive
- CATL begins test production of battery cells in Debrecen, electrive
- Nickel exposure at CATL plant in Hungary, electrive
- Hungary increases pressure on BYD and CATL, electrive
- Washington seeks to sever Ford's Ties with Chinese partners, electrive
- CATL resumes operations at its lithium mine in Jiangxi, electrive
- CATL targets 2027 start for solid-state battery pilot production, electrive
- Li Auto replaces CATL cells with its own battery cells, electrive
