CATL has commenced construction of its power battery production base in Beijing, aiming to supply customers in the city such as BAIC Group, Xiaomi, and Li Auto.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Beijing on June 18 for the battery base project, a joint investment by CATL, BAIC, Beijing Energy International Holding, and Xiaomi, CATL announced today.
The manufacturing site, designed to meet the standards of a lighthouse factory and a zero-carbon factory, will feature CATL’s high-speed, highly automated, and flexible production lines.
Once completed, the site will supply battery products to automotive customers in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, including BAIC, Xiaomi, and Li Auto, CATL said. The company also aims to attract more supply chain companies to the Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei region to stimulate the local economy.
The power battery project is part of Beijing Shidai Power Battery Co Ltd, a joint venture between CATL, BAIC, Xiaomi EV, and Beijing Energy International. CATL holds a 51 percent stake in the joint venture, while BAIC, Xiaomi EV, and Beijing Energy International hold 39 percent, 5 percent, and 5 percent stakes respectively, according to data provider Tianyancha.
Xiaomi EV launched its first model, the SU7, on March 28, offering three variants — standard, Pro, and Max. The standard variant initially used a blade battery based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry from BYD’s battery arm FinDreams Battery. However, on May 27, Xiaomi announced that the standard version of the SU7 would also incorporate batteries from CATL to increase production capacity.