Dongfeng Motor has been in negotiations with CATL since the second quarter of 2026 to lock in first-fit rights for CATL's third-generation Shenxing super-charging battery, according to multiple independent sources.
The two parties also plan to form a joint venture for deeper cooperation, with Dongfeng seeking greater say over battery supply as well as the new battery's first-fit and guaranteed-supply benefits.
CATL released the third-generation Shenxing battery at its "Super Tech Day" on April 21. The company says it reaches a full charge in about 6 minutes at room temperature, going from 10% to 98% in 6 minutes 27 seconds and from 10% to 80% in just 3 minutes 44 seconds.
On October 29, Dongfeng and CATL signed a group-level strategic cooperation agreement highlighting a "super-charge plus swap" energy-replenishment ecosystem. Under the deal, the Voyah, Mengshi and Yijing brands will be first to carry 10C-and-above super-charging products.
In the first nine months of 2026, CATL held a 43.8% share of China's domestic power-battery installations at 257.2 GWh, up 1.8 percentage points year on year, cementing its leading position.
Source: China News Report (compiled from 21st Century Business Herald, Cailianshe, Securities Times).
