CATL starts trial cell production at 100 GWh Debrecen plant

First two lines running ahead of mass production at Hungary base, CATL's largest outside China

CATL has begun trial cell production at its 100 GWh plant in Debrecen, Hungary, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. The first two cell production lines started trial runs on September 22 after the site secured all permits required for trial operations.

The plant, CATL's second European battery factory after its German facility, will become the company's largest production base outside China once all facilities are ready.

Trial production is intended to set up, optimize and validate production equipment and manufacturing processes ahead of mass production. CATL did not disclose a specific timetable for mass production in the statement.

The new cell factory in Debrecen met all prerequisites for trial operations. The plant obtained an occupancy permit in August, followed by all remaining relevant permits, and fulfilled all requirements under its Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permit before starting trial operations.

Local authorities conducted repeated on-site inspections before issuing the occupancy permit to follow up on issues that had raised serious concerns among residents, CATL said. Regulatory representatives confirmed that all deficiencies previously identified during the permitting process had been resolved.

The company said it would continue monitoring employee health, safety and environmental indicators during trial operations and proactively submit the results to regulators while maintaining close cooperation with the government and relevant authorities.

CATL announced the project in August 2022, aiming to deepen its integration into Europe's automotive and electric mobility supply chains. Construction of the first cell building began in summer 2023, and production equipment installation was completed by spring 2026. The site uses flexible production lines to meet customer needs, the company said.

The start of trial cell production comes later than the company's earlier target. Reuters reported in September 2025, citing CATL's European general manager Matt Shen, that the company was aiming to begin production in late 2025 or early 2026.

CATL has manufactured battery modules in Debrecen since the fall of 2024, producing 537,000 to date. Trial cell production marks a significant step in the company's efforts to expand its local supply capacity in Europe.

CATL is the world's largest maker of EV batteries, with global installations reaching 289.6 GWh in January-July, up 26.6% from a year earlier, according to data released earlier this month by South Korean market researcher SNE Research. The company's global market share rose to 39.9% in January-July from 38.0% a year earlier, approaching 40%.

What to watch: CATL has not set a public date for mass production at Debrecen. The next milestones are the commissioning of the first two cell lines, the ramp toward the 100 GWh capacity target, and any customer announcements from European automakers tied to local supply.