CATL opens a different kind of EV museum
The ‘CATL New Energy Plaza’ in Chengdu is intended to serve as a kind of showcase for electromobility, albeit with a focus on CATL. Visitors will be able to view a wide variety of electric cars equipped with batteries from CATL. The responsible district government in Chengdu and several car manufacturers have also collaborated on the experience centre. According to CATL, it has set up a new platform in cooperation with car manufacturers ‘to build a bridge between car manufacturers and consumers to promote innovation and mutual success’.
The models on display in Chengdu include global bestsellers such as the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, electric cars from German manufacturers such as the VW ID.4 Crozz and ID.6 Crozz, as well as examples from Chinese brands. CATL is the main supplier of Nio’s batteries, which is why several of the start-up’s models can be found in the exhibition. The Xiaomi SU7, which has been in great demand in China since its premiere in April, can also be viewed there. You can read an initial driving report on the SU7 here. Plug-in hybrids from Wey and Volvo (the XC60 to be precise) can also be seen in the pictures.
As a battery manufacturer, CATL is first and foremost a partner for OEMs. The CarNewsChina portal therefore aptly notes that the 13,800 square metre showroom is a first for CATL: this is the first time the company has come into direct contact with end customers. The company had already made an emphatically self-confident appearance at Auto China in Beijing. Now it seems as if the brand is also to be made more present to the end customer – so that they will not only decide in favour of an electric car, but one with a CATL battery when they next make a purchase decision. However, CATL expressly wants to do without the special ‘CATL Inside’ branding that was once used for computers with Intel chips.
As a battery manufacturer, CATL is first and foremost a partner for OEMs. The CarNewsChina portal therefore aptly notes that the 13,800 square metre showroom is a first for CATL: this is the first time the company has come into direct contact with end customers. The company had already made an emphatically self-confident appearance at Auto China in Beijing. Now it seems as if the brand is also to be made more present to the end customer – so that they will not only decide in favour of an electric car, but one with a CATL battery when they next make a purchase decision. However, CATL expressly wants to do without the special ‘CATL Inside’ branding that was once used for computers with Intel chips.
Although the experience centre is also referred to as a showroom for electric cars, it is purely an exhibition – unlike dealer showrooms, no sales will take place there. Nevertheless, the centre will offer services such as test drives, as well as information events on the entire life cycle – not only of the cars, but also of the batteries. CATL employees will answer consumer questions about electric cars and batteries at the exhibition. There will also be specialist presentations on battery development.
In addition to the new centre, which is also called ‘Ning Space’ in China (probably in reference to the company headquarters in Ningde), CATL has also introduced its own aftermarket service called ‘Ningjia Service’. Throughout China, 112 service centres will offer battery-related services – from mobile service teams in emergencies to battery maintenance and battery condition checks.
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