If you've never heard of CATL, you're not alone. But this Chinese battery giant is the single most important company in the global electric vehicle transition, supplying more EV batteries than any other manufacturer on Earth. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) commanded 39.2% of the global EV battery market in 2025 — and that share jumped to 45.2% in January 2026. Tesla, BMW, Ford, Mercedes, NIO, Li Auto, and Xiaomi all buy CATL cells. From a regional supplier in China's Fujian province to the world's battery kingpin in just 15 years, CATL's rise is one of the most remarkable industrial success stories of the 21st century. AI-generated image CATL dominates global EV battery production with massive manufacturing scale Breaking: March 9, 2026 CATL 2025 Full-Year Results: Record Everything CATL released its 2025 annual earnings on March 9, 2026. The numbers are exceptional across every metric. Revenue: 423.7 billion yuan, up 17% year-on-year Net income: 72.2 billion yuan ($10.4B), up 42.28% Battery sales: 661 GWh total (+39%) — power batteries 541 GWh, energy storage 121 GWh Capacity: 772 GWh installed by end-2025; 321 GWh more under construction Full-year 2025 share: 39.2% globally, only supplier above 30% January 2026 share: 45.2% (32.5 GWh installed) Dividend: 69.57 yuan per 10 shares — 50% of net income returned to shareholders Global footprint: 24 factories, 6 R&D centers 2025 Highlights What Happened in the Past 18 Months May 2025: CATL lists on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx: 3750), rising 75% by early 2026 to a HK$2.36T ($302B) market cap. Sep 2025: Shenxing Pro debuts at IAA Munich — world's first LFP with 470+ mile range AND 10-minute charging. Nov 2025: Battery swap demo with GAC and JD.com: full swap under 100 seconds on a sub-$15,000 EV. Nov 2025: 10-year strategic deal signed with GAC Group covering battery swap and supply. Dec 2025: "Moz" humanoid robots deployed at Zhongzhou — claimed world's first large-scale humanoid deployment in battery manufacturing. Dec 2025: Choco-Swap hits 1,020 stations in first year; 2026 target raised to 3,000+. Jan 2026: Morgan Stanley study: CATL retains ~400 km range after 2 million km vs. ~350 km for competitors. Feb 2026: CATL added to Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index; BMW-CATL deepen Battery Passport data partnership. May 14 update CATL's 2026 story now runs through sodium-ion scale, not just EV share CATL followed its record 2025 results with a sharp first quarter. Revenue reached 129.13 billion yuan , up 52.45% year over year, while net profit attributable to shareholders climbed 48.52% to 20.74 billion yuan . The bigger strategic shift is sodium-ion. CATL and HyperStrong signed a three-year 60 GWh sodium-ion battery supply deal for energy storage in late April. Two weeks later, public filings in Ningde showed CATL planning a 5 billion yuan investment to add 40 GWh of annual sodium-ion production capacity in Fujian. Q1 revenue 129.13B yuan Q1 profit 20.74B yuan Storage order 60 GWh sodium-ion New capacity 40 GWh planned From ATL Spinout to Global Giant CATL's origin story begins with Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) , a Hong Kong-based battery maker founded in 1999 that became a major supplier to Apple and Samsung for smartphone batteries. In 2011, ATL executive Zeng Yuqun (Robin Zeng) recognized that automotive batteries represented a vastly larger opportunity than consumer electronics. ATL's Japanese parent company (TDK) was reluctant to pursue the automotive market, so Zeng led a management buyout of ATL's automotive battery division. That spinout became CATL, headquartered in Ningde, Fujian province. The name "Contemporary Amperex" was a nod to the parent while signaling a new direction. AI-generated image CATL's Ningde headquarters houses massive battery production facilities Key Milestones Year Milestone 2011 CATL founded as ATL automotive spinout 2012 First major customer: BMW for Chinese market 2017 Surpasses Panasonic to become world's largest EV battery maker 2018 IPO on Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SHE: 300750) 2020 Wins Tesla supply contract (China Model 3) 2022 Announces sodium-ion battery commercialization roadmap 2023 Sodium-ion cells enter production; Condensed Battery (500 Wh/kg) announced for aviation 2024 Reaches 37% global market share, 500+ GWh capacity; signs BAIC partnership for battery swap 2025 Shenxing Pro (471-mile LFP + 10-min charge); Naxtra sodium-ion brand (175 Wh/kg); Moz robots at Zhongzhou; Choco-Swap hits 1,020 stations; Hong Kong IPO up 75% to $302B; 10-year GAC deal 2026 Revenue 423.7B yuan (+17%), net income 72.2B yuan (+42%); 45.2% global share in Jan; world's first mass-produced sodium-ion passenger vehicle with Changan Oshan; 3,000+ swap stations planned; added to Hang Seng Index By the Numbers: CATL's Market Dominance 39.2% Global EV battery market share, full-year 2025 45.2% Global market share, January 2026 (SNE Research) $10.4B Net income in 2025, up 42% year-on-year 772 GWh Installed production capacity at end of 2025 661 GWh Lithium-ion batteries sold in 2025, up 39% $302B Market cap (HKEx, March 2026), up 75% from May 2025 IPO Global EV Battery Market Share — January 2026 Source: SNE Research. Total global EV battery usage in January 2026: 71.9 GWh, up 10.7% year-on-year. Rank Company Share GWh 1 CATL 45.2% 32.5 2 BYD 13.8% 9.9 3 LG Energy Solution 6.6% 4.7 4 CALB 5.3% 3.8 5 Panasonic 4.3% 3.1 6 Gotion High-tech 3.9% 2.8 7 SK On 3.2% 2.3 8 Svolt 2.7% 1.9 9 Eve Energy 2.4% 1.8 10 Samsung SDI 2.2% 1.6 Korean makers (LG Energy Solution, SK On, Samsung SDI) combined fell to 12% in January 2026 as US EV sales dropped 30.2% year-on-year. CATL's 45.2% is nearly 8 points above its full-year 2025 figure, reflecting strong Chinese market demand and early-year ordering patterns. AI-generated image CATL's rapid market share growth from 2015-2026 Manufacturing Scale CATL operates 24 production bases globally, with 772 GWh of installed capacity at end-2025 and 321 GWh under construction: • Ningde, Fujian: Original headquarters, 150+ GWh capacity • Jining, Shandong: Gigaplant opened June 2025, producing 220,000+ 587 Ah cells daily • Erfurt, Germany: First European plant, supplies BMW and Volkswagen • Debrecen, Hungary: Under construction, target 100 GWh, to supply Mercedes, BMW, VW, Stellantis • Mexico (proposed): Potential site for North American production under review Technology Portfolio: Chemistry to Manufacturing CATL isn't just a manufacturer. It is a technology powerhouse with R&D capabilities spanning battery chemistry, cell design, and manufacturing automation. The company spends 5-7% of revenue on R&D annually, over $2 billion at current scale. 1. Shenxing Pro: LFP Redefined (2025) 2025 World's First LFP Battery with 470+ Miles AND 10-Minute Charging Unveiled at IAA Mobility 2025 (Munich) in September 2025, the Shenxing Pro delivered 758 km (471 miles) WLTP range while sustaining 12C peak charging, enough to add meaningful range in 10 minutes from a compatible charger. Range: 758 km (471 mi) WLTP Charging: 12C peak, 10-minute meaningful top-up Cold weather: Functional at -20°C Warranty: 12 years or 1,000,000 km Safety: NP 3.0 "No Propagation" tech (first commercial use) Chemistry: LFP (lithium iron phosphate) 2. Naxtra: Sodium-Ion Enters Mass Production (2026) New 2026 World's First Mass-Produced Sodium-Ion Passenger Vehicle On February 5, 2026, CATL and Changan Automobile jointly unveiled the world's first mass-produced passenger vehicle equipped with sodium-ion batteries, slated for mid-2026 market launch. The vehicle uses CATL's Naxtra brand cells. CATL has invested nearly RMB 10 billion in sodium-ion R&D since 2016, with 300+ researchers including 20 PhDs. Energy density: 175 Wh/kg (comparable to mainstream LFP) Range (45 kWh pack): Up to 400 km pure EV Range (projected): 500-600 km as supply chain matures PHEV/EREV: 300-400 km pure electric range Cold at -40°C: Capacity retention above 90% Extreme cold at -50°C: Power output remains stable vs LF