The Chinese company sees an opportunity in America despite trade barriers, with local production through licensing as a possibility.
- CATL says U.S. automakers have already tested its new batteries designed specifically for American pickups.
- CATL hasn’t disclosed the batteries’ specifications, production timeline, or which U.S. automakers tested them.
- Licensing could allow American companies to manufacture the batteries domestically.
Chinese battery giant CATL wants in on the American electric pickup market, and it has already developed batteries specifically for the job. Getting them into trucks, however, will be tricky and likely require American companies to manufacture them locally.
Zhu Lingbo, the chief technology officer of CATL’s international business unit, told the Financial Times that the company has created “tall” batteries specially designed for American pickups. U.S. automakers have already tested them, he said, without naming the companies.
The CATL executive spoke Sunday at CATL’s headquarters in China, saying that America offered “huge business” despite “very intense geopolitics.” He noted that licensing the technology to U.S. manufacturers could provide a way in.
However, the FT report contains no specifics regarding the batteries’ chemistry, dimensions, performance, or production time frame. It also doesn’t point to an actual customer that has agreed to use them.
We do know that Ford’s upcoming Fathom electric pickup will use Michigan-made LFP cells built with CATL technology. It’s unclear whether Ford’s cells relate to the newly disclosed design, but the arrangement shows how CATL’s technology could reach American pickups.
CATL’s American ambitions also predate this announcement. Company chairman Robin Zeng had previously expressed willingness to build a U.S. factory, if it were allowed. Tesla provides another licensing precedent, although its Nevada LFP production serves officially manufactures cells for energy storage products, not cars.
Developing batteries specifically for American pickups suggests CATL still sees a market worth pursuing despite the obvious obstacles. Yet political resistance remains strong, with very high tariffs, strict localization requirements, and potential security bans constraining Chinese companies’ access to the American market, regardless of their cost and technology advantages.
The U.S. government designated CATL as having alleged military links in January 2025, which the battery company vehemently denies. Still, getting its technology into more American vehicles will be tricky. CATL said at the time that it would challenge the designation, even through legal means if necessary.
Zhu’s comments come ahead of planned New York talks between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China’s He Lifeng, and a Washington summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. After meeting in Beijing in May, the two presidents are expected to discuss AI, rare earth supplies and the November deadline for the trade truce between the two countries.
Ford’s experience shows both the appeal and the complications. During our visit to Ford’s Michigan battery plant, we learned that the automaker licensed CATL technology to build cheaper EVs and create American manufacturing jobs. But the arrangement still drew opposition from the Trump Administration. CATL’s pickup batteries could follow a similar path, but making them in America won’t necessarily settle the argument over where the technology comes from and whether it’s acceptable to use it.
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