Chinese Ev Battery Maker Shows New Tech Us Consumers Can’t Buy

DURING THE SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW THIS WEEK, ONE OF CHINA’S LEADERS IN THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SECTOR SHOWED NEW TECHNOLOGIES — ONLY NONE OF THEM ARE LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. ANYTIME SOON.

CHINESE EV BATTERY MANUFACTURER CATL UNVEILED NEW PRODUCTS IT SAYS ARE CHEAPER, LIGHTER, FASTER TO CHARGE AND EXTENDING DRIVING RANGES.

THE COMPANY, WHICH SUPPLIES AUTOMAKERS LIKE TESLA AND GENERAL MOTORS, SAID IT CAN NOW POWER A VEHICLE FOR OVER 300 MILES IN JUST FIVE MINUTES OF CHARGING. THAT PUTS EV REFUELING TIME ON PAR WITH TRADITIONAL GASOLINE CARS.

THAT PARITY HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING GOAL OF EV MAKERS AND CONSIDERED A BARRIER FOR CONSUMERS INTO THE EV MARKET. CATL HAS ALSO DEVELOPED WHAT COULD BE THE FIRST COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE EV BATTERIES THAT DOESN’T USE GRAPHITE. BY ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR THIS TYPICALLY CRUCIAL COMPONENT OF AN EV BATTERY, CATL SAYS IT WILL BOTH REDUCE COSTS-
AND ALLOW THE TECHNOLOGY TO TAKE IN 60 PERCENT MORE ELECTRICITY.

THESE SECONDARY BATTERIES ARE DESIGNED TO BACK UP THE MAIN SYSTEM, ENABLING DRIVERS TO TRAVEL FURTHER DISTANCES ON A SINGLE CHARGE.
THE COMPANY PLANS TO MASS PRODUCE THE PRODUCT WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS, BUT U.S. TARIFFS ON CHINESE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND PARTS MEAN CATL’S BATTERY DEVELOPMENTS AREN’T GOING TO BE OFFERED TO AMERICAN CONSUMERS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, DUTIES ON THESE EV PRODUCTS WERE ALREADY AT 100 PERCENT AND THEN PRESIDENT TRUMP IMPOSED ADDITIONAL TARIFFS OF 145 PERCENT, ESSENTIALLY BANNING CHINESE ELECTRIC MODELS FROM THE U.S.

HOWEVER, TRUMP RECENTLY SIGNALED A WILLINGNESS TO BRING THOSE RATES DOWN “SUBSTANTIALLY” WHICH IS A PROPOSAL CHINA’S FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID ITS “DOORS ARE WIDE OPEN” TO DISCUSSING.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER.