CATL Adopts "Factory Within Factory" Model, Begins Battery Production at AITO Motor Factory

CATL’s new production model drives the development of the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry supply chain.

On June 30, Seres Group officially announced the successful completion of CATL’s battery production line launch at the AITO Motor super factory. The high-end CTP 2.0 battery pack production line, which was launched at the Seres super factory, marks the first time CATL has adopted the “Factory Within Factory” (FiF) cooperation model. This model will enable the localized production of power batteries for the WM Motor series of vehicles.

The “Factory Within Factory” model used by CATL is an innovative supply chain collaboration model that differs from traditional supply chain approaches. In the FiF model, the production lines of core component suppliers are integrated directly into the vehicle manufacturing factory, ensuring efficient supply chain collaboration and rapid response. With this model, the time from receiving instructions from the company to adjusting the supplier’s production line is less than 20 minutes, significantly improving the overall vehicle production efficiency.

A man in a light blue shirt speaks at a podium adorned with flowers during an event related to CATL's battery production line launch. — Zeng Yuqun, Chairman and CEO of CATL, stated that this production launch not only marks the beginning of CATL’s localized production in Chongqing but also a new starting point for its collaboration with AITO Motor.

Since 2022, CATL and Seres Group have reached an agreement for AITO Motor vehicles to be equipped with CATL’s high-end power batteries over the next five years. To date, AITO Motor’s cumulative market penetration has surpassed 700,000 units. In the first five months of this year, AITO Motor vehicles, under Seres Group, achieved cumulative sales of 108,800 units in the mainland market, consistently ranking among the top three new energy vehicle brands. Among them, the popular AITO M9 has accumulated sales of 50,500 units.

As of now, CATL has maintained the largest global market share of power batteries for eight consecutive years, with battery system capacity reaching 676 GWh. By the end of 2024, more than 200 GWh of additional capacity is under construction. Domestically, CATL is advancing the construction of bases in Zhongzhou, Guiyang, Xiamen, and Jining. Internationally, the company is gradually increasing the production capacity at its German plant and is actively pushing forward the construction or planning of its Hungary plant, a joint venture with Stellantis in Spain, and a battery supply chain project in Indonesia.