EVE will Supply Cylindrical Batteries to BMW & CATL Sichuan Plant to Stop Production Due to Power Outages

According to overseas media reports, China’s EVE Energy has signed a contract with BMW to become the battery supplier for a new series of electric vehicles from BMW in Europe. BMW’s new range is coming in 2025. The sources declined to be named and said they were not authorized to speak to the media. Therefore, more conclusive news has to wait for the official broadcast of the media.

There must be a source. So why do BMW’s new series of electric models use larger-sized cylindrical batteries? (BMW originally used prismatic batteries) Let’s take a look at the advantages of the two batteries:

• Prismatic batteries, which are rectangular in shape, have become the most common form of car battery over the past two years. Because they can be packed more densely, saving costs.
• But proponents of cylindrical batteries argue that newer, larger-format batteries have become more cost-effective due to increased energy density.

It is understood that EVE Energy is also currently planning to build a large cylindrical battery plant in central China. Tesla also started producing its new, larger-gauge 4680 cylindrical battery this year. Tesla has said it expects the battery to reduce production costs and improve range compared to the current-generation 2170 cylindrical battery.

CATL will also supply BMW with cylindrical cells in 2025, but it is unclear how many cells BMW will purchase from EVE and CATL.

【CATL Sichuan plant was shut down due to power limited】

The other report from China’s Financial Associated Press: CATL’s factory in Yibin, Sichuan has been shut down due to power limited, and the time will be from August 15th to August 20th. However, CATL did not respond to the interview.

According to public information, the Sichuan Yibin factory is located in Sanjiang New District, Yibin City, Sichuan Province. It is one of the main lithium battery production bases in the domestic layout of CATL.

In 2019, CATL announced a new lithium battery factory in Yibin, Sichuan. The project is constructed in six phases, with an investment of more than RMB 30 billions. The project investors are all wholly-owned subsidiaries of CATL: Sichuan Times New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.

In June 2021, the first phase of the Yibin Base of CATL was officially put into production. At the project commissioning ceremony, Zeng Yuqun, chairman of the company, said that after the completion of the Yibin base, it will become the most important power battery production base in the southwest of CATL.

In December last year, CATL announced that it would invest an additional RMB 24 billions to expand the Yibin lithium battery factory and build the seventh to tenth phases of the Yibin base.

In March this year, CATL officially announced that SGS, a world-renowned certification agency, issued a PAS2060 carbon neutrality certificate to Sichuan Times, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL. So far, the Yibin factory of CATL has officially become the first zero-carbon factory in the new energy industry.