CATL Developing 12,000 Wh Per Kg Lithium-Air Battery

CATL chief scientist Wu Kai told the 2026 Powering The Nation forum that the company's long-term focus is lithium-air battery technology. The theoretical energy density of lithium-air batteries is 12,000 Wh/kg, roughly the same as gasoline. Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, lithium-air batteries use lithium metal as the anode and oxygen from the air as the cathode reactant, reducing weight and complexity.