China sets off first train shipment of lithium-ion batteries

China has kicked off the first rail transport of lithium-ion batteries by Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd, the world's largest electric vehicle battery maker, which marked a huge milestone for battery transportation in the country and is expected to reduce the cost of the battery industry as a whole.

The first trial trains, loaded with CATL's lithium-ion batteries, debuted from Guiyang, Guizhou province and Yibin, Sichuan province to Shanghai.

The move also marked a step for CATL in optimizing the structures of such batteries for safe transport.

In Europe and North America, rail transport accounts for 20 percent of the total, while in China, over 90 percent of power lithium battery transport is by road, due to safety concerns.