CATL is still in the process of developing and validating the M3P battery with Tesla, and the exact timing of the installation is not yet clear, according to local media.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Chinese power battery giant CATL's (SHE: 300750) M3P battery is expected to be installed in Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) models, as the battery is already fitted in a model jointly developed by Chery and Huawei, according to a local media report.
CATL said in response to investor questions on Feb. 28 that its M3P batteries are already being used in a model developed by Chery in partnership with Huawei, and that the company is moving forward with other customers as well, according to a report in The Paper today.
CATL is still in the process of developing and validating the battery with Tesla, and the exact timing of carrying it is not yet clear, the report said, citing an industry source.
CATL chairman Robin Zeng mentioned the M3P battery during a February 2022 roadshow, sparking discussion about the new battery.
On July 22, 2022, CATL's chief scientist Wu Kai said in a presentation at a battery conference that the company's M3P battery had been mass-produced and would be put into service in 2023.
M3P batteries are CATL's batteries based on a new material system with higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and lower cost than ternary batteries, Wu said at the time.
The M3P battery will primarily target the market with a range of more than 700 kilometers, according to Wu.
On August 3, 2022, local media outlet LatePost reported that CATL would start supplying M3P batteries to Tesla in the fourth quarter of 2022 for use in the new Model Y, which would go on sale in early 2023.
On August 18, 2022, Sina Tech reported that Tesla would launch a new China-made Model 3, with the highlight being that the entire lineup will use CATL M3P batteries for at least a 10 percent boost in range.
However, no new updates have followed these reports, and there have been no reports of CATL's M3P batteries in 2023.
CATL's latest comments mean that the Luxeed S7 may have become the first model to feature its M3P battery, The Paper's report today noted.
Huawei officially launched the Luxeed S7 on November 28, 2023, the first sedan among the models it has built with local carmakers.
CATL says it's developing M3P battery, different from LMFP battery
