CATL Wins First "Train Ticket" from China Railway

On November 19, the inaugural ceremony for the trial transport of CATL lithium-ion batteries by railway was held in Guiyang, Guizhou Province and Yibin, Sichuan Province. The departure of the train with a full load of CATL power batteries to Shanghai marks a breakthrough in the transport of power lithium-ion batteries. 

The transport efficiency and safety of EV batteries are of great significance to the development of the battery industry. For the purposes of minimizing transport costs and increasing the resilience of the new energy power battery supply chain, CATL has been actively involved in China Railway's pilot project of lithium-ion battery transportation by railway. On June 5 and June 15, CATL implemented a slew of tests including "thermal runaway" and "rail impact" for lithium-ion battery railway containers, receiving high praise from experts because of its superior product safety, good stability, reliable packaging, and rigid fixation. 

Railway transportation features large carrying capacity, competitive cost, and strong adaptability to weather conditions. The launching of railway transportation for EV batteries has advanced the delivery of bulk goods and medium to long-distance goods to shift from highway transport to railway transport, which is advantageous to reduce carbon emissions, minimize transport costs, and increase transport efficiency. Resultantly, it can be expected that China's lithium-ion battery industry will be more competitive globally once the domestic railway transportation of EV batteries is connected to China-Europe freight train services.