The Tectrans (Tianxing) CV battery brand was introduced a few years ago. Credit: CATL Understand China EV’s Market Real-time notifications when critical EV data is released All important data in one place 2,000,000+ data points Become a member Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has officially launched its latest commercial vehicle power battery, the Tectrans II (Tianxing II) ultra-fast charging battery. Designed specifically for light commercial vehicles (LCVs), the new battery brings the industry’s first 8C peak charging rate to the sector. Charging speeds The Tectrans II battery is engineered to make electric logistics as convenient as traditional refueling. It boasts an 8C peak charging rate, allowing vehicles to charge from 20% to 80% State of Charge (SOC) in 6 minutes and 48 seconds, with a full charge achieved in 8 minutes and 56 seconds. This launch follows CATL’s unveiling of its third-generation Shenxing battery in April, which set a new benchmark for passenger vehicles by reaching a 10% to 80% charge in 3 minutes and 44 seconds. While the Shenxing III focuses on extreme passenger-car performance with an internal resistance of 0.25 milliohms, the Tectrans II is optimized for the heavy-duty demands of commercial logistics, offering a balance of speed and longevity. Durability and cold-weather resilience Commercial operators often face high-mileage requirements, and the Tectrans II addresses this with a warranty of up to 10 years or 1,000,000 km. To achieve this, CATL reduced the cell internal resistance to 50% of the industry average, lowering heat generation during rapid charging. Furthermore, the company utilized atomic-level interface reconstruction on graphite particles to minimize lithium loss, ensuring the battery remains durable throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle. The battery also excels in extreme conditions. In temperatures as low as -20°C, the Tectrans II requires only an additional 2 minutes and 30 seconds to charge, ensuring that logistics operations remain uninterrupted even in harsh winter climates. This builds upon the self-heating pulse technology introduced in the Shenxing III, which enables high-speed charging in cold environments without the need for specialized external infrastructure. Building the charging infrastructure To support the deployment of the Tectrans II, CATL is rolling out a new “integrated ultra-charging and battery swap” station network. These stations are designed to be compatible with both passenger and commercial vehicles, catering to diverse logistics scenarios such as urban distribution, intercity transport, and cold-chain delivery. The stations feature customized ultra-fast charging piles with adjusted cable lengths to accommodate the specific charging port layouts of micro-vans and light trucks, allowing drivers to plug in without the need to maneuver their vehicles. CATL plans to deploy 4,000 of these integrated stations across nearly 190 cities in China this year.