Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, is prioritizing international expansion due to increasing competition in China’s domestic EV market.

Chief Manufacturing Officer Ni Jun discussed these challenges at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin.

Ni described the current competition in China’s car market as “irrational,” warning that it could harm the industry.

This sentiment is echoed by BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li, who recently referred to the ongoing EV price war as “unsustainable.”

Both CATL and BYD, which manufacture both vehicles and batteries, play major roles in the sector.

In response to competitive pressures, Chinese authorities have criticized what they term “rat race competition” and have summoned major automakers for discussions.

To address these challenges, CATL is focusing on global strategies, including enhancing production efficiency and implementing regionalized production models.

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🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ CATL’s international expansion reflects maturation of Chinese manufacturing strategy

CATL’s global expansion journey reveals a significant learning curve for Chinese manufacturers entering Western markets, with important lessons for the entire industry.

The company began its European ambitions as early as 2018 with a €240 million German factory, but encountered unexpected challenges with higher land costs, labor expenses, and operational inefficiencies 1.

These difficulties have prompted CATL to develop a more sophisticated approach for its Hungarian facility, including innovations like ready-to-assemble modules that can be shipped globally and easily installed by local workers 2.

This evolution demonstrates how Chinese battery manufacturers are refining their international playbooks, moving from simply replicating domestic strategies to developing market-specific approaches that account for local conditions.

The shift toward “reconfigurable” factories that can quickly adapt to new products represents a significant manufacturing innovation that could become increasingly important as battery technology continues to evolve rapidly.

2️⃣ China’s domestic EV price war creates both push and pull factors for global expansion

The extreme price competition in China’s domestic market isn’t merely aggressive business tactics but reflects structural overcapacity issues threatening industry sustainability.

Major automakers like BYD have slashed prices by up to 34% across dozens of models, creating unsustainable market conditions that government officials have publicly criticized as “rat race competition” 3.

This pricing pressure directly impacts battery makers like CATL who supply these automakers, making international expansion not just a growth strategy but a necessity for maintaining profitability.

These domestic market conditions create both push factors (escaping the price war) and pull factors (seeking more profitable markets) that align perfectly with CATL’s characterization of overseas expansion as their “No. 1 priority.”

3️⃣ Battery manufacturing’s technological transformation mirrors broader industry shifts

CATL’s early adoption of artificial intelligence in battery production highlights how technological innovation is reshaping manufacturing approaches across the industry.

The company began implementing AI solutions seven to eight years ago, initially for simple tasks but now expanding to critical applications in materials screening, manufacturing processes, and after-sales services 4.

This technological evolution reflects broader industry trends toward what CATL describes as factories becoming “greener,” “smarter,” and critically, “reconfigurable” to quickly adapt to rapidly changing battery technologies.

The company’s cell-to-pack (CTP) battery platform introduced in 2019 demonstrated CATL’s focus on manufacturing innovation, increasing mass energy density by 10-15% while improving volume utilization by 15-20% 4.

These manufacturing advances are particularly crucial as the global battery industry has entered what the IEA describes as “a new phase” characterized by intensifying competition, rapidly evolving technologies, and growing emphasis on sustainable production methods 5.

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