CATL and Dongfeng reportedly signed a group-level agreement on ultra-fast charging and battery swapping on October 29, 2026. Separate talks over Shenxing III’s first vehicle launch were reported as unsettled on November 3, so the agreement and the battery’s potential debut are distinct developments. China EV Signal reported the agreement’s scope, while CarNewsChina reported the status of the launch talks.
A charging time is useful only when you know the starting and ending charge levels.
What the CATL-Dongfeng agreement covers
The reported agreement concerns cooperation on ultra-fast charging and battery swapping. The separate negotiations concern first-launch rights for Shenxing III, CATL’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. CarNewsChina said those talks had begun in the second quarter of 2026 and were still unsettled in its November 3 report.
How CATL explains Shenxing III’s design
In a technical presentation, CATL compares Shenxing III cells measuring 300 millimeters with “common” 400-millimeter cells. Its presenter says shortening a cell by 100 millimeters cuts heat generation by 20%.
A separate report attributed another figure to CATL: a 20% improvement in thermal efficiency from its cooling system. Thermal efficiency and heat generation are different measures. In the presentation, CATL also puts the cells’ internal resistance at 0.25 milliohms and claims they retain more than 90% of their capacity after 1,000 ultra-fast charging cycles.
What CATL’s charging times say
CATL claims Shenxing III can charge from 10% to 35% in one minute and from 10% to 80% in 3 minutes 44 seconds. The company also claims a 10C equivalent charging rate, with peaks of 15C. Just Auto reported these figures.
The 6-minute-27-second result has two reported endpoints: Just Auto and Híbridos y Eléctricos give 10% to 98%, while InsideEVs reports 10% to 90%. CATL’s separate cold-weather claim is a charge from 20% to 98% in about nine minutes at −30°C, as reported by Just Auto.
