Chinese battery producer Svolt Energy has officially started volume manufacturing of its new 80-kilowatt-hour Fortress 2.0 battery system, designed specifically for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The first units of this next-generation pack have come off the production line at Svolt's factory in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, and the system now stands as the highest-capacity PHEV battery offered anywhere in the Chinese market.

When measured against the earlier 59-kWh iteration, the Fortress 2.0 delivers a 35.6 percent increase in total energy storage. Through more integrated engineering, the pack also achieves a 6 percent gain in both volumetric efficiency and energy density, giving vehicle manufacturers the ability to fit larger battery capacities without requiring fundamental alterations to the vehicle architecture. The system is targeted primarily at larger family-oriented vehicles and off-road capable models.

Paired with D-segment PHEV platforms, the 80-kWh unit is projected to provide more than 400 kilometers of all-electric driving range—substantially reducing the need for frequent recharging. Additionally, the pack is equipped to handle peak 6C fast-charging speeds, meaning drivers can replenish enough charge for over 400 kilometers of electric range in just 10 minutes.

In the area of thermal protection, Svolt has incorporated nano-thermal ceramic insulating materials into the pack's construction. This design element is intended to prevent combustion for a minimum of 30 minutes when subjected to extreme temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius, thereby raising the overall safety margin of the system.

Svolt expects to reveal the first production vehicle equipped with the Fortress 2.0 battery at the upcoming Beijing Auto Show later this month. Over the past few years, PHEV battery capacities in China have continued to climb, driven by both automaker and consumer interest in mitigating range anxiety while capitalizing on the lower operating costs of electric propulsion.

For comparison, Leapmotor introduced its D19 sport utility vehicle in October 2025, which includes an extended-range variant carrying an 80.3-kWh battery sourced from a major domestic supplier. That model, which can travel up to 500 kilometers on electric power alone, officially went on sale today.

Svolt, originally a spin-off from Great Wall Motor, accounted for 1.84 percent of China's total power battery installations in March, based on figures released by the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA).