The global race to build better batteries for electric cars has a new target. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, known as CATL, announced a major change in its long-term research plans. The Chinese battery manufacturer is now focusing on lithium-air technology with a theoretical maximum energy density that matches the energy density of gasoline.

The announcement came from Wu Kai, the Chief Scientist at CATL, during the 2026 Powering the Nation Forum. Wu, who is also a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, shared the company’s strategy publicly for the first time, indicating where the giant battery manufacturer believes the next phase of global market competition will happen.

Source: Argonne National Laboratory

Standard lithium-ion batteries in electric cars use heavy metal compounds. These compounds usually contain nickel, cobalt, and manganese to hold the lithium ions. Lithium-air designs remove these heavy materials. Instead, they use a lithium metal anode and take oxygen directly from the surrounding air to act as the cathode reactant. Because they draw in oxygen from the environment, researchers call them “breathable batteries.” This setup lowers both the total weight and the internal complexity of the battery cells.

The math behind the technology explains why battery manufacturers are interested. The theoretical energy density limit for lithium-air systems is 12,000 Wh/kg. Gasoline sits at roughly 13,000 Wh/kg, and modern laboratory battery prototypes have reached more than 1,200 Wh/kg. That last number is four times higher than the 250 to 270 Wh/kg capacity found in mainstream electric cars today. It also more than doubles the 500 Wh/kg target expected from upcoming solid-state batteries.

If manufacturing companies can successfully mass-produce these components, the standard driving range of electric cars will change significantly. Vehicles with driving ranges of more than 994 miles on a single charge could become normal. This would effectively solve the driving distance concerns that keep many buyers away from EVs.

Source: Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology

Scientists first thought of the lithium-air concept in the 1970s, but engineering problems stopped companies from using the tech in real vehicles for decades. The components are highly sensitive to moisture and carbon dioxide in the air. Early prototypes also suffered from poor catalyst stability and short lifespans. But a lot of progress has been made, and the latest academic projects have started to solve these issues.

A joint project by the University of Illinois Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, and California State University, Northridge, showed an operational lithium-air battery in 2024. That prototype managed more than 700 cycles in an environment that mimicked natural air. By 2025, Argonne National Laboratory paired up with the Illinois Institute of Technology to build a new prototype. This unit achieved the 1,200 Wh/kg energy density level and lasted for 1,000 charging cycles at standard room temperature. Experts do not expect this specific design to be ready for real vehicles until after 2030.

CATL has a history of turning alternative chemical concepts into actual products. The firm presented a sodium-ion battery design in 2020, and now those batteries are already in mass production, with automakers installing them into several new vehicle models. These models include the GAC Aion UT and the Changan Oshan 520. Other automotive brands like Geely, Chery, and FAW are also using these sodium-ion packs to lower prices on smaller electric cars.

Source: Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology

The new lithium-air announcement shows how the company plans to split its timeline into three distinct parts. The short-term plan is to meet current market requirements using existing, mature battery designs. In the mid-term, CATL will improve the driving experience for premium EVs by rolling out solid-state packs. The long-term is all about maximizing energy storage capabilities by commercializing lithium-air technology.

The business scales are tipped in favor of the Chinese manufacturer as it begins this long-term research. CATL holds the largest market share in the world for both power batteries and stationary energy storage systems. In the automotive sector, the firm secured a 47.0% market share in April 2026. On the energy storage side, the company sold 121 GWh of storage batteries over the course of 2025. This volume gave them a 30.4% global market share, keeping them in the number one position globally for five years in a row.

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In the current automobile industry, we have seen some insanely quick 0-62 mph sprint times. However, what Dreame is claiming for its Nebula Next 01 Jet Edition is preposterous!

Chinese brand Dreame, which is previously known for smart home appliances and personal care devices, has unveiled its first car, called the Nebula Next 01 Jet Edition. It isn’t a normal machine as it features a dual solid rocket booster system that, the company claims, catapults this vehicle to 62 mph in literally a blink of an eye – 0.9 seconds!

Dreame says that the response time of its propulsion system is 150 milliseconds and it generates a maximum thrust output of 100 kilonewtons. The car is fitted with a solid-state battery instead of the regular lithium batteries that can be found in today’s EVs. The expected range is over 550 km (CLTC cycle).

The hypercar is also equipped with a LiDAR system that offers a maximum detection range of 600 meters, can identify objects at 400 meters even at 10% reflectivity, and detects small targets such as traffic cones at 300 meters and small animals at 280 meters.

EV drivers often complain about one thing more than anything else: the time it takes to charge. Gas cars fill up in minutes, but EVs usually need a longer break. Sunwoda Power shared some news that might change that. At an event in Beijing, the company showed off a new battery that can charge pretty much as fast as you can refill a gas-powered car.

The new tech is called the Xingchi Supercharge Battery 2.0. It uses a chemistry known as lithium-iron phosphate, or LFP. These types of batteries are known for being tough and safe, but they aren’t always the fastest. Sunwoda says it has fixed that. Their new pack has a “15C” charging rate – this battery can handle a massive amount of power all at once without melting or breaking.

The numbers Sunwoda shared are quite impressive. If you plug in an EV with this battery when it is at 5%, it will hit 95% in just 9 minutes. If you are in a real rush, it can go from 5% to 75% in only 5.5 minutes. Most people spend more time scrolling through their phones in a parking lot than it would take to nearly fill this battery.

Surprisingly, Sunwoda did not make a small prototype – they showed off a full-sized battery pack. This pack uses 264 prismatic cells, has a total capacity of 98.8 kWh, and runs at 844.8 V. That is definitely enough energy to power a large sedan or SUV for a long trip.

Key specifications of the Xingchi 2.0

When you push that much power into a battery, people worry about heat and damage. Sunwoda seems very confident in its work. The company announced that drivers can use ultra-fast charging as much as they want during the warranty period. They are not putting a limit on how many times you can use the fastest chargers.

The battery can handle a maximum current of 1,800 A, but even with all that power, Sunwoda claims the battery will last for more than 1,500 charging cycles. For most drivers, that means the battery will likely outlast the car itself.

Sunwoda is working on a solid-state battery

Not everyone needs a massive battery for long trips. Some people prefer hybrid vehicles that use both gas and electricity. Sunwoda introduced a different battery for these vehicles. It uses large cylindrical cells that are 1.81 inches wide. These packs range from 3 kWh to 7 kWh.

Lithium is still the king of batteries right now, but Sunwoda is looking at other materials too. They are working on sodium-ion batteries, since sodium is much easier to find than lithium. These batteries are cheaper and safer, but there is a catch. Sodium batteries cannot hold as much energy in the same amount of space as lithium ones. Because of this, Sunwoda plans to use them for cheaper, entry-level EVs or for low-voltage systems in cars.

Sunwoda is also bringing artificial intelligence into the mix. They call it their “AI+ battery” strategy. They use computer programs to help design the batteries and keep track of them while people are driving. This helps the company find ways to make the batteries better and safer over time.

Of course, not wanting to be left out, the company is working on solid-state batteries. These are the “holy grail” of the industry. Their prototype can hold 400 Wh/kg of energy and could potentially give a car a range of 620 miles on a single charge.

Business-wise, Sunwoda is holding its ground. In March 2026, they installed 1.4 GWh of batteries into new EVs. This gives them about a 2.5% share of the massive Chinese battery market. They also recently finished a legal battle with a branch of the car company Geely. The dispute was worth £235 million, and it has now been settled.

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I know of at least one Kenworth semi truck that has accumulated over four million miles, but this Virginia farm truck proves that even companies with a stellar reputation for reliability occasionally mess things up. According to a report from local news station WWBT, this 2026 Kenworth T280 has been in the shop nearly 50 times since it was purchased in August by Douglas Coleman Farms for $247,357.

Members of the family who owns the farm told WWBT that the truck broke down within their first week of ownership, and spent nearly all of November and December in the shop for issues ranging from gauges that don’t work and a transmission that won’t shift, to electrical issues and even a fire. The family told reporters that they’ve lost $30,000 to $40,000 from the truck being out of service so frequently over the past nine months.

Virginia’s lemon law applies to new vehicles that have required three separate repairs for the same issue, or that have been out of service for at least 30 days in a calendar year. Lemon-law claims must also be made within 18 months of purchase. But John Gayle, a lawyer consulted by WWBT who previously rewrote Virginia’s lemon law, said the Kenworth may not qualify because the law doesn’t cover all vehicles.

“The lemon law is written to cover primary vehicles primarily used for personal, family, or household use,” Gayle said, adding that vehicles over a certain weight are not covered.

The text of the law, officially known as the Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act, doesn’t include a specific breakdown for weight or class. But in the “Definitions” section, it does state that a “consumer” is someone who purchases or leases a vehicle “used in substantial part for personal, family, or household purposes,” echoing the language used by Gayle in the interview. I’m not a lawyer, but the T280 is a Class 6 medium-duty truck, in this case being used primarily for farm work, so it seems like it would be difficult to clear that hurdle in court.

Because a dealer hasn’t been able to fix the problems, the Coleman family can likely go after Kenworth for failing to meet its warranty obligations, Gayle said. The company told WWBT said it would work to diagnose and address all warranty-related issues, and that discussions of replacement trucks are handled privately with customers. WWBT reports that Kenworth offered to buy the truck back from the Coleman family, but it allegedly rescinded the offer after learning they had contacted a lawyer before appearing on local news.

Hopefully, the situation gets resolved soon. It’s bad enough having a truck out of action when you know what’s wrong with it—let alone having to deal with multiple unexplained problems.