1.25 million miles EV test: CATL batteries beat rivals with record low degradation

Morgan Stanley Research data reveals that Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) leads the electric vehicle battery market in minimizing degradation. In real-world tests involving 12 EV models and 100 batteries across four Chinese cities, CATL batteries retained about 400 km (250 miles) of range after 2 million kilometers (1.25 million miles), outperforming competitors whose batteries retained 350 km (218 miles) or less. This superior durability aligns with previous field data from projects like the Zhangbei Wind-Solar-Storage Demonstration and Jinjiang’s LFP battery system, which demonstrated over 12,000 cycles and projected 20+ years of operation. Managing battery degradation is increasingly recognized as a critical metric for evaluating battery and energy storage system quality. In response to this, CATL began mass production in June 2025 of its 587Ah energy storage cell, designed to optimize degradation control, safety, and system efficiency rather than just increasing battery size. Manufactured at CATL