CALB reforms production after battery swelling affects 213,000 GAC electric vehicles

Battery manufacturer CALB is implementing sweeping production and quality management reforms following a widespread defect in GAC electric vehicles. The issue, colloquially termed the "banana battery" phenomenon due to swelling, affects approximately 213,000 vehicles caused by defective 177 Ah LFP battery cells, with a reported defect rate of 4.7%.

In response, both GAC and CALB have issued public apologies. GAC has extended battery warranties to eight years or 300,000 km for affected vehicles, while CALB has committed to free inspections and maintenance.

To prevent recurrence, CALB is tightening technical standards, including stricter requirements for electrode coating thickness and material density to align with industry leaders like CATL. The company is also upgrading moisture control during electrolyte injection and implementing cell-roll-level sampling for better traceability. Additionally, CALB is restructuring its management by expanding its quality assurance department and granting it veto power to reject entire batches of cells if risks are detected.