Chinese manufacturer CATL says that it has developed technology that could soon make its electric vehicle batteries lighter and cheaper, with faster and less frequent charging.

According to The New York Times, CATL said in an April 21 announcement that the advances could help put EVs on par with gas-powered cars in terms of price and performance. The manufacturer detailed how its new auxiliary EV battery doesn't require the use of graphite for its poles, allowing 60% more electricity to flow through each cubic inch, and dramatically reducing its cost. That would also increase a vehicle's driving range, and reduce the overall size of the battery itself, which would share space in the underbody of an EV with its main battery.

CATL co-president of research and development Ouyang Chuying estimated that the new auxiliary batteries could be available in EVs in the next two to three years. Currently, there are no commercially available EV batteries that don't use graphite in poles. 

The company also announced that it plans to start selling sodium-ion batteries to Chinese freight truck automaker First Auto Works. Sodium-ion batteries are designed to retain more than 90% of their charge even when temperatures fall up to 40 degrees below zero, and have become a priority for China's auto industry given the frigid winters of the country's northern provinces.