CATL successfully test-flies a civilian electric aircraft, accelerating the development of 8-ton aircraft

Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, said at the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum that the company has successfully tested a 4-ton civilian electric aircraft and is accelerating the development of an 8-ton electric aircraft, which is expected to be released in 2027-2028 with a range of 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers. The aircraft uses CATL's most advanced condensed matter battery, with a battery cell energy density of up to 500Wh/kg. In addition, the company is also developing a new generation of sodium-ion batteries, which are expected to perform better in terms of cost, life and low-temperature performance, and will be launched as early as next year. The company has invested $10 billion in the research and development of electric aircraft in the past 10 years, and last year's research and development investment reached $2.5 billion.