Robin Zeng, founder and chair of CATL, the world’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturer, is set to accompany Chinese President Xi Jinping to this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, aiming to bolster partnerships with South Korea’s EV industry.
Zeng, 57, has led CATL since founding the company in 2011. He first entered the battery business in 1999 when he co-founded Amperex Technology Limited, a maker of lithium-polymer batteries for consumer electronics, which was later acquired by Japan’s TDK Corporation in 2005. Zeng remained with the firm in senior roles before spinning off ATL’s EV battery operations to establish CATL in 2011.
Despite the slowdown in EV demand, aggravated by US tariffs on Chinese batteries, CATL strongly maintained its dominance at the top of the global battery market in the first half of this year. According to data from Seoul-based market tracker SNE Research, total battery installations in newly registered EVs, plug-in hybrids and hybrids worldwide reached 590.7 gigawatt-hours during the period, with CATL making up almost 40 percent of the total at 221.4 gigawatt-hours.
During his visit to Korea, Zeng is reportedly planning to meet with top Korean conglomerate chiefs — including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won and LG Group Chair Koo Kwang-mo — to discuss potential battery supply deals and the purchase of advanced Korean battery materials and equipment.
Industry insiders indicate that Zeng’s upcoming trip, his first visit to Korea since March 2023, will likely focus on expanding battery supply partnership with Hyundai Motor outside the US.
Notably, the Chinese battery maker reached a key milestone in July by securing a contract to supply NCM batteries for Kia’s EV5. It also provides mid- to low-cost LFP batteries for models such as Hyundai’s Kona Electric and Kia’s Niro EV and Ray EV. Industry insiders say Zeng’s visit to Korea could further expand collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and CATL.
“US tariffs make Hyundai and CATL’s collaboration in North America challenging, but partnerships in emerging markets such as the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia are likely inevitable, as Chinese batteries are key to cost competitiveness,” said a senior battery researcher at a Korean battery company, on condition of anonymity.
“With the Russian market effectively closed, Hyundai is increasingly focusing on these regions, opening room for broader cooperation.”
CATL is also reportedly looking to purchase NCM battery materials and equipment from Korean firms.
The source added, “NCM is a three-component or ternary system that delivers peak performance only when optimized through precise processing — an area where Korean technology currently outpaces China’s. For CATL as well, improving quality and reducing defect rates will require Korean expertise, particularly in streamlining production steps such as automated material input, heat treatment and seamless process integration.”
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
