CATL's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Gao Huan's recent speech at the China Electric Vehicle 100 Forum has attracted widespread attention both inside and outside the industry. He made it clear that in order to achieve ultra-fast charging (supercharging), excessive sacrifice of battery reliability, life, safety, and even energy density will have a profound impact on the long-term development of the industry. His views not only provide new development ideas for the new energy vehicle industry, but also trigger a profound discussion on the balance between technological innovation and safety assurance.
At the same time, the serious accident of the Xiaomi SU7 on the highway once again highlights the challenges of new energy vehicles in terms of safety. China Exportsemi will combine the content of Gao Huan's speech and the Xiaomi SU7 accident to deeply discuss the balance between the development of power battery technology and safety assurance.
Picture: Gao Huan, CTO of CATL, warned: sacrificing life for speed is the poison of the industry
1. Breakthroughs and potential safety hazards in overcharging technology
The promotion of supercharging technology is of great significance to improve the convenience of new energy vehicles, especially in markets where the public charging infrastructure is not yet perfect, and efficient supercharging can effectively improve the user experience. However, overcharging places higher demands on battery materials, thermal management systems, and battery life.
1.1 Effect of overcharging on battery life
In his speech, Gao Huan emphasized that the shortening of battery life is the main hidden danger brought by supercharging technology. The high temperature environment caused by high-rate charging will accelerate the chemical reaction inside the battery, resulting in the accelerated degradation of the battery material, which in turn will shorten the cycle life of the battery. According to CATL's research, the life of some batteries may be reduced by more than 30% in extreme fast charging mode.
1.2 Trade-offs between energy density and safety
In order to improve the tolerance of the battery in a high-rate charging environment, some companies choose to reduce the energy density of the battery to reduce the risk of overheating. However, this strategy will directly affect the range of the electric vehicle, which in turn will affect the consumer experience.
In addition, Gao Huan pointed out that in order to seize the commanding heights of supercharging technology in the market competition, some companies have even relaxed the safety standards for battery materials and thermal management systems. This practice not only affects the long-term reliability of the product, but can also trigger thermal runaway of the battery, increasing the risk of fire and explosion.
2. Vehicle-electricity separation and battery banking: business model innovation
Gao Huan proposed a business model that could alleviate the problems caused by overcharging - the separation of vehicle electricity and the battery banking system.
2.1 The concept of vehicle-electricity separation
In the traditional mode, the battery, as part of the vehicle, is directly owned and maintained by the user. However, due to the limited lifespan of the battery and the high cost of replacement, users are often under greater financial pressure. In the vehicle-electricity separation mode, the battery is held by a dedicated battery bank, and the user only needs to lease the battery, thereby reducing the cost of purchasing the car and making the battery management more professional.
2.2 The commercial value of the battery bank
Battery banks can not only improve the utilization rate of battery assets, but also extend the life cycle of batteries through technology upgrades and management optimization. At the same time, this model can also give rise to the battery asset securitization market, making batteries an investable asset class.
However, the promotion of the vehicle-electricity separation mode still faces many challenges, such as the uniformity of battery specifications, the ownership of property rights, and the construction cost of battery swapping network. The industry needs to explore more deeply in terms of business models and policy support.
3. The warning of the Xiaomi SU7 accident: safety issues cannot be ignored
On March 29, 2025, a Xiaomi SU7 collided and caused a deflagration on a highway in Anhui Province, killing three people in the car. The investigation of the accident revealed that the vehicle was driving at a speed of 116 km/h to the construction section with the Autonomous Driving Assistance System (NOA) turned on, and the system alerted and slowed down after detecting an obstacle, but eventually collided with the barrier.
3.1 Post-collision deflagration problems
After the accident, the vehicle burned in a short period of time, resulting in the inability of the occupants to escape in time. This phenomenon shows that the performance of battery thermal management systems in extreme accidents still needs to be optimized.
3.2 Controversy over the mechanism of unlocking the door
After the accident, some of the victims' families questioned that the door lock of the vehicle could not be opened after the collision, which affected the escape. Xiaomi responded that the vehicle was equipped with an emergency mechanical handle, but the location was relatively hidden. This problem highlights the shortcomings of new energy vehicles in safety design, especially in emergency situations, how to improve the possibility of occupant escape.
4. The future path of technological innovation and security assurance
In order to achieve the sustainable development of the new energy vehicle industry, technological innovation must be improved in tandem with safety.
4.1 Raising battery safety standards
CATL has reduced the safe failure rate of battery cells to 1/1 billion, a development that provides a new benchmark for the industry. However, the entire industry still needs to establish stricter battery safety standards, especially in the overcharging environment, how to ensure that the battery does not overheat and does not undergo thermal runaway is a technical problem that enterprises need to focus on.
4.2 Strengthen the safety design of the whole vehicle
The Xiaomi SU7 accident has exposed the safety shortcomings of new energy vehicles in extreme situations. In the future, companies will need to optimize the design of battery protection after vehicle collisions and improve escape mechanisms, such as adopting more intuitive and easy-to-operate emergency escape solutions.
4.3 Development of intelligent battery management systems
CATL is developing an intelligent battery management system for L3 and L4 autonomous driving. The system is able to monitor the battery status in real time and predict possible battery failures through big data analysis. In the future, this intelligent management system is expected to be deeply integrated with the vehicle's autonomous driving system to improve the overall safety of new energy vehicles.
5. Conclusion
CATL's CTO Gao Huan's speech provided new development ideas for the new energy vehicle industry. In the context of the rapid development of supercharging technology, how to ensure the safety and reliability of batteries is a problem that the industry needs to focus on. The rise of vehicle-electricity separation and battery banking may provide the industry with new business model options while alleviating the problem of short battery life.
However, the Xiaomi SU7 accident once again reminds us that the safety of new energy vehicles still cannot be ignored. The industry needs to strengthen the safety design of vehicles and establish more perfect safety standards to ensure the healthy development of new energy vehicles while technological innovation.
In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the gradual maturity of the market, the new energy vehicle industry will usher in a broader development space in terms of safety, intelligence and business model innovation.
