Shen Feng, managing director of CATL Germany and Hungary, explained at the Hungarian Battery Days conference that the company’s innovative products, local manufacturing, and sustainable supply chains all contribute to CATL’s organic integration into the European economy and support for the EV transition in the continent.
Shen Feng gave a keynote speech on November 6 at the Hungarian Battery Days conference in Budapest. During his presentation, he emphasized that thanks to intensive product development, the range and charging speed of electric cars are constantly improving, making e-cars attractive and accessible to a wider range of consumers. The European market is showing growth again: by the end of 2025, electric cars are expected to account for 29% of new car sales. CATL has manufactured batteries for 20 million vehicles to date, and its global market share has now reached 37.9%. The company has invested USD 10 billion in R&D since 2019, resulting in more than 21,000 researchers and nearly 50,000 patents.
The growing demand for electric vehicles is being driven by a number of technological innovations. A good example of market-driven development is the launch of CATL’s Shenxing Pro battery range this year, specifically tailored for the needs of European consumers as a result of seven years of innovation, the company said in a press release. One model offers a WLTP range of up to 758 km and a service life of 1 million kilometers, with a 9% drop in performance after 200,000 km.
The other model offers extremely fast charging: a range of 500 km with a charging time of 20 minutes, even in cold weather conditions, the company says
CATL notes that it is committed to participating in the spread of electric transportation not only as a global supplier, but also as a true European partner.
“We aim at becoming a deeply embedded company in the European economic ecosystem and offer solutions that meet the needs of European users and are fully compliant with regulations and environmental requirements,” emphasized Shen Feng.
The Debrecen factory is CATL’s largest production base currently outside of China, playing a strategic role in the company’s European expansion. According to the company’s expectations, it will help meet local battery demand, strengthen the company’s global manufacturing network, and support the transition to electric transportation in the continent.
Production lines are currently being installed at CATL’s Debrecen cell factory, and trial production will begin soon. The Debrecen plant will not only function as a production centre, but will also offer flexible manufacturing solutions tailored to customers’ needs.
Since the start of module production in August 2024, CATL Debrecen has manufactured 120,000 modules, which means the Debrecen production has supported the manufacturing of approximately 30,000 electronic vehicles.
In order to serve the increased capacity, the company launched another recruitment campaign in Debrecen and the surrounding region from October to secure the necessary workforce for the smooth start of cell production, relying on local workforce as much as possible.
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