CATL Lays Out Solid-State Timetable as Australian Storage Launch and Hungary Court Win Broaden Its Base

CATL has told investors it expects to turn out fully solid-state batteries in small production runs by 2027, a disclosure made on the interactive platform of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Tuesday. The company was careful to frame the target as small-series output rather than mass manufacturing, and stressed that it remains committed to research and development in the technology.

The solid-state roadmap sits alongside an unusually busy stretch of partnership announcements. On 19 October, CATL agreed with Yinwang Intelligent Technologies and its battery-swapping subsidiary to build an intelligent system for exchanging electric-vehicle batteries. Three days later, on 22 October, it signed a deeper cooperation agreement with Beijing Automotive Group covering a swap system that, according to The Business Times, is designed to serve one million vehicles. BAIC will bring compatible models into CATL's Choco-Swap network, and its dealer network will help roll out the swapping stations.

Heavy Trucks Get Their Own Platform

Commercial vehicles are a separate front. CATL unveiled its Tianxing II battery platform for heavy trucks on 20 October; the company says its Qiji system can swap a truck battery in roughly five minutes. The build-out targets are ambitious: 900 heavy-truck swap stations in China by the end of 2026, 2,000 by 2027, and 10,000 over the longer term. A further agreement on 21 October with Shaanxi Transportation Holding Group covers swap infrastructure for heavy trucks as well as solar installations with storage and charging equipment along motorways, plus services spanning the battery life cycle and recycling.

TENER+ Makes Its Debut in Australia

Away from swapping, CATL introduced its TENER+ energy storage system, with 9 MWh of capacity, globally on Thursday at All Energy Australia. Media reports said the company also signed letters of intent at the show with Hitachi Energy, EPEC Group and UNSW Sydney to support large battery storage projects in Australia.

In Hungary, a court on Friday dismissed a lawsuit brought by residents against the Debrecen battery plant, according to Reuters. The residents were no longer entitled to sue after the permitting documents were revised, and the court found no procedural irregularities in the approval process. The ruling removes a legal burden less than a month after trial production began.

Revenue Outpaces Earnings

The quarter's figures show top-line momentum running well ahead of the bottom line. Revenue for the third quarter of 2026 came in at RMB 165.22 billion, up 58.6% year on year. Net profit attributable to shareholders reached RMB 21.25 billion, a gain of 14.5% — leaving profit growth trailing revenue growth by a wide margin.