CALB

CALB, formerly associated with the name China Aviation Lithium Battery, is a Chinese battery technology company that develops and manufactures lithium-ion battery systems. Its principal activities cover batteries for electric vehicles, especially commercial and passenger electric vehicles, as well as battery systems for stationary and grid-scale energy storage. The company is headquartered in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, after relocating from Luoyang during a change in ownership and development strategy. The business was founded in 2007 as part of the China Airborne Missile Academy, a division of Aviation Industry Corporation of China. Its origins therefore lay within China’s aviation and defense-industrial ecosystem, although the company subsequently built its commercial identity around electric-vehicle and energy-storage batteries. CALB’s early growth was supported by deployment in electric transportation. In 2011, the Hangzhou municipal government placed a substantial order after electric taxis in the city began using CALB batteries. By 2013, CALB had become a leading supplier in China’s commercial electric-vehicle battery market. The company encountered a major setback in 2017 when the departure of important commercial-vehicle customers caused substantial losses. AVIC sought a buyer, while the Luoyang government, where CALB was then headquartered, was unable to provide the financial support required to sustain the business. The Changzhou government ultimately acquired the company and transferred its headquarters to Changzhou. Under chairwoman Liu Jingyu, CALB shifted greater attention toward batteries for passenger electric vehicles and returned to profitability. CALB’s customer base has included major Chinese vehicle manufacturers. In 2021, approximately half of its sales were associated with GAC, while other reported customers included Changan, Leapmotor, and XPeng. The company was described as having doubled in size for three consecutive years during a period in which its batteries were viewed as offering a combination of safety and cost competitiveness. CALB also separated its military business, reinforcing the distinction between its commercial battery operations and its earlier defense-related origins. In October 2022, CALB raised HK$9.9 billion through an initial public offering in Hong Kong. The company was ranked the world’s seventh-largest electric-vehicle battery supplier and China’s third-largest in 2022, behind CATL and BYD, according to the referenced Wikipedia material. Its products extend beyond vehicle propulsion to grid energy-storage applications. CALB remains an active participant in China’s rapidly expanding battery industry, with its position shaped by automotive customers, manufacturing scale, energy-storage demand, and its relationship with Changzhou’s municipal industrial policy.

CALB was established in 2007 within the China Airborne Missile Academy, a division of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Its original institutional setting connected the company to China’s aviation and defense-industrial sector, but its commercial development increasingly centered on lithium-ion batteries for electric transportation and energy storage. A significant early expansion came in 2011, when the Hangzhou government placed a large order after deploying CALB batteries in electric taxis. This public-transport application helped demonstrate the company’s technology in an operating fleet and supported its entry into China’s growing electric-vehicle market. By 2013, CALB was reported to hold a leading position in China’s commercial electric-vehicle battery segment. The company’s business model came under pressure in 2017. Several important commercial-vehicle battery customers departed, producing large losses and prompting AVIC to seek a purchaser. CALB was still headquartered in Luoyang at the time, but the Luoyang government could not provide the financial backing needed by the business. The Changzhou government subsequently acquired CALB and moved its headquarters to Changzhou, Jiangsu. This transaction altered the company’s governmental and industrial base while preserving it as a major battery enterprise. Following the ownership transition, chairwoman Liu Jingyu led a strategic emphasis on passenger electric-vehicle batteries. The change broadened CALB beyond its earlier dependence on commercial vehicles and helped the company return to profitability. CALB also separated its military business, allowing the battery company’s commercial activities to focus more clearly on automotive and stationary energy applications. The company expanded rapidly during the subsequent electric-vehicle boom. In 2021, roughly half of its sales were attributed to GAC, with Changan, Leapmotor, and XPeng also identified as customers. CALB’s batteries were described as relatively safe and cost-competitive, factors that supported customer adoption and manufacturing growth. The company was reported to have doubled in size for three consecutive years. CALB entered public markets in October 2022, raising HK$9.9 billion through a Hong Kong initial public offering. In the same year, it was described as the seventh-largest electric-vehicle battery supplier globally and the third-largest in China, behind CATL and BYD. Its product scope includes lithium-ion power batteries for vehicles and batteries for grid energy storage, reflecting the convergence of automotive electrification and stationary storage. The referenced material further states that in June 2026 the U.S. Department of Defense placed CALB on a list of Chinese military-linked companies. This development relates to the company’s historical connection with China’s aviation and defense-industrial system, even though CALB’s reported commercial focus is electric-vehicle and energy-storage batteries. CALB’s present identity is therefore shaped by both its state-linked origins and its role as a large commercial battery manufacturer based in Changzhou.

1. 2026U.S. Department of Defense listing

   The referenced material states that CALB is added to a U.S. Department of Defense list of Chinese military-linked companies.

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2. 2022CALB completes Hong Kong initial public offering

   CALB raises HK$9.9 billion through a Hong Kong IPO and is ranked among the leading global electric-vehicle battery suppliers.

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3. 2021GAC becomes CALB’s largest reported customer

   About half of CALB’s sales are reported to come from GAC, with Changan, Leapmotor, and XPeng also identified as customers.

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4. 2017Changzhou government acquires CALB and moves its headquarters

   After losses caused by customer departures, AVIC seeks a buyer and the Changzhou government acquires the company from its Luoyang base.

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5. 2013CALB leads China’s commercial electric-vehicle battery market

   CALB is reported to hold a leading market-share position in commercial electric-vehicle batteries in China.

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6. 2011Hangzhou adopts CALB batteries for electric taxis

   The Hangzhou government places a substantial order after electric taxis begin using CALB batteries.

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7. 2007CALB is founded within the China Airborne Missile Academy

   CALB is established as part of the China Airborne Missile Academy, a division of AVIC.

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A Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturer positioned around safety, cost competitiveness, electric-vehicle applications, and grid energy storage.

• Lithium-ion power batteriesElectric-vehicle batteries

  CALB develops and manufactures lithium-ion power batteries for electric vehicles. Its customer history includes commercial fleets, electric taxis, and passenger-vehicle manufacturers. The company’s reported competitive attributes include safety and cost, while its market development has included a strategic shift from a strong commercial-vehicle base toward passenger electric vehicles.

• Grid energy-storage batteriesEnergy storage

  CALB’s product scope includes batteries and systems for grid energy storage. These products extend the company’s battery business beyond vehicle propulsion into stationary applications associated with electricity-system storage and the broader energy transition.

• Electric-vehicle battery systemsBattery systems

  The company supplies battery systems for electric transportation, including applications in commercial vehicles, electric taxis, and passenger vehicles. Reported customers have included GAC, Changan, Leapmotor, and XPeng.

• 2011Hangzhou electric-taxi deployment

  China

  CALB batteries were adopted in electric taxis in Hangzhou, helping support a substantial order from the Hangzhou government and providing an early large-scale transportation reference.

  Outcome. The deployment contributed to CALB’s early commercial expansion and recognition in China’s electric-vehicle battery market.

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• 2022Hong Kong initial public offeringOther

  CALB pursued a public-market financing as its electric-vehicle battery business expanded.

  What changed. The company raised HK$9.9 billion through an initial public offering in Hong Kong.

  Aftermath. The offering provided a major capital-market event for CALB as it ranked among China’s leading electric-vehicle battery suppliers.

  IPO proceeds. HK$9.9 billion (October 2022)

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• 2017Relocation and ownership transition to ChangzhouStrategy

  CALB suffered substantial losses after important commercial-vehicle customers left. AVIC sought a buyer, while the Luoyang government could not provide the required financial support.

  What changed. The Changzhou government acquired the company and moved its headquarters from Luoyang to Changzhou.

  Aftermath. Under chairwoman Liu Jingyu, CALB emphasized passenger electric-vehicle batteries and returned to profitability.

  Source
• Separation of military businessStrategy

  CALB originated within an aviation and defense-industrial organization while developing a large commercial battery business.

  What changed. The company spun off its military business.

  Aftermath. CALB’s reported commercial focus became more concentrated on electric-vehicle and energy-storage batteries.

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• 2026CALB added to U.S. Department of Defense Chinese military-linked companies list

  The referenced material states that the U.S. Department of Defense added CALB to a list of Chinese military-linked companies in June 2026.

  RegulationOther
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• 2022CALB raises HK$9.9 billion in Hong Kong initial public offering

  CALB completed a Hong Kong initial public offering and raised HK$9.9 billion, according to the referenced company history.

  M&AOther
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• 2022CALB ranked among leading global electric-vehicle battery suppliers

  CALB was identified as the seventh-largest global supplier and third-largest supplier in China for electric-vehicle batteries in 2022.

  Other
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1. CALB