GAC AION makes breakthrough in power batteries

Chinese electric carmaker GAC AION unveiled a new ternary lithium battery on Wednesday night, which became the industry's first that did not catch fire when pierced through.

In a test conducted by China Automotive Technology and Research Center, the pierced battery emitted some smoke briefly but it did not catch fire nor exploded. Its performance marked a milestone in the sector of ternary lithium batteries.

Its temperature returned to the room temperature when left for 48 hours. The internal structure was complete, and the pierced module did not cause damage to neighboring ones.

The center said this was the first time that a ternary lithium battery passed the test. The battery, which was named the magazine battery after its shape, also has enhanced performance in terms of energy density at a lower cost.

GAC AION said the magazine battery was the result of 600 engineers and 80 patents were involved. The carmaker said its vehicles will start to sport the new battery this year.

The company was one of the best-selling electric car makers in the country, with over 100,000 vehicles sold in the past years.