Changan and CATL commit to 75 GWh battery expansion with solid-state and sodium-ion development

What Changan announced

Changan has officially announced plans to deepen its partnership with battery giant CATL, committing to expand joint battery production capacity to 75 GWh and to collaborate on solid-state batteries and sodium-ion cells. As reported by CarNewsChina, the automaker made the announcement on an interactive platform owned by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, the same channel it has used for previous statements on its in-house solid-state programs. In the same statement, Changan also expressed commitment to prospective industries including humanoid robots and China's low-altitude economy. ¹³

The commitment was not a sudden departure from existing plans. According to Speedme.ru, Changan confirmed these directions on 12 October through the Shenzhen exchange's investor platform, and the 75 GWh figure had already appeared in the manufacturer's 2025 annual report, meaning the announcement represents a progression of a previously declared program rather than a new project. Independent coverage of the same announcement also appeared from MotorBox and DonanimHaber, which carried matching figures for capacity, investment and the solid-state program. ⁴⁵²

The Times Changan joint venture and its capacity ramp

Changan and CATL are long-standing partners in China's automotive sector, having established the CATL-Changan joint venture, known as Times Changan, in 2023. The joint venture supplies cells to Changan's in-house new-energy vehicle brands, including Avatr, Deepal and Nevo. According to CarNewsChina, citing the Chinese battery industry outlet Libattery.net, the venture is on track to reach 50 GWh of production capacity under a plan Changan revealed at an investor relations event in May 2025. The new commitment adds a further 25 GWh to reach 75 GWh. ¹⁵²

Background on the venture's operations comes from a January 2026 report by ichongqing.info, which said the Times Changan Yibin plant in Sichuan Province had reached 30 GWh of annual capacity in its Phase I expansion, producing one battery pack every 2.5 minutes. The same report quoted Zhou Anjian, who is leading the Times Changan project, saying Changan's annual new-energy vehicle output is about 1.2 million units while existing battery capacity supports only 700,000 to 800,000 units, leaving an annual gap of roughly 400,000 to 500,000 units. ⁷

The new facility: scale, investment and timing

Under the announcement, the Times Changan venture will establish a facility of about 700,000 square metres and invest 5 billion yuan, roughly USD 750 million, in the expansion. According to Changan, the plant will integrate the latest generation of CATL battery technology and supply cells to the automaker's new-energy vehicle brands. It is planned to start operations in 2027 and reach the 25 GWh goal within three years, situated in a high-tech zone between Chongqing City and Sichuan Province. ¹³²

Changan expects the expansion to generate annual revenue of 10 billion yuan (about USD 1.5 billion), create 2,500 jobs and produce 300 million yuan in tax revenue for the local community, CarNewsChina reports. Speedme.ru adds slightly more specific timing, reporting the additional 25 GWh plant is to begin operating in the second half of 2027 and reach design capacity over the following three years. ¹⁴

Investment figures differ between reports. ichongqing.info's January 2026 report on the 25 GWh power-battery base, which broke ground in Chongqing's Beibei District in the Sichuan-Chongqing Gaozhu New Area, cited investment of 5.5 billion yuan (about USD 790 million) across an area of over 1,000 mu (about 66.7 hectares), with production planned for the second half of 2027 and full capacity within three years of production starting. The October 2026 reporting led by CarNewsChina cites 5 billion yuan. Both reports agree on the 25 GWh scale, the 2027 production start and the three-year ramp, but the investment discrepancy remains unresolved in the available reporting. ⁷¹

Golden Bell solid-state cell targets

Changan's solid-state ambitions centre on its Golden Bell (Jinzhongzhao) cells, first announced in November 2023. According to CarNewsChina, the automaker says it is aiming for an energy density of 400 Wh/kg and claims the cells will be 70 per cent safer than rivals because they use AI remote diagnosis technology. It also claims the cells will help EVs reach ranges over 1,500 km, that degradation will not be noticeable for at least 600,000 km, that cell life will exceed 5,000 cycles, and that Golden Bell packs will support 6C charging, enabling a 30-to-80 per cent charge in nine minutes. ¹⁵⁶

These claims remain manufacturer targets rather than verified production figures. DonanimHaber noted the announcement does not specify which vehicle, battery capacity or test standard would deliver the claimed 1,500 km range, while MotorBox suggested the figure is likely on the Chinese CLTC cycle. Speedme.ru reported there is no independent verification yet of the full set of characteristics for a production product, and that the promised 1,500 km remains a characteristic of prospective technology rather than a series-production EV. ²⁵⁴

Changan has reiterated its development schedule for the Golden Bell cells, aiming for vehicle road tests in 2026 and ramping up to commercial production in 2027, according to CarNewsChina. That timeline aligns with the planned 2027 start of operations at the expanded CATL-Changan facility, though as Speedme.ru observed, the existence of 75 GWh of capacity does not mean that volume is destined for solid-state cells. ¹³⁴

Sodium-ion cells and commercial context

Alongside solid-state development, the partners are also working on sodium-ion batteries. Speedme.ru reports these are oriented toward reducing dependence on lithium and operating at low temperatures, noting CATL claims an energy density of 175 Wh/kg and strong frost resistance for its Naxtra sodium-ion technology, and that the economic viability of sodium-ion batteries depends on scaling production and cheaper components. Telset adds that Changan has begun fitting sodium-ion batteries to mass-production cars, indicating a multi-pathway battery strategy. ⁴³

Cost pressure provides context for the expanded in-house supply. CarNewsChina, citing the Chinese automotive outlet ZAKER News, reports Changan earns only 68 yuan (about USD 10) per car and is under heavy pressure to boost profits; a joint venture with CATL gives it access to cheap in-house cells and avoids high acquisition costs for battery packs, one of the priciest components in a new-energy vehicle. ¹

These are China-based production and development plans. The cells supply Changan's Avatr, Deepal and Nevo brands, and no Australian specifications or delivery timelines for vehicles using the new capacity have been announced. ¹