CATL's Qilin battery is honored by TIME as one of the best inventions of 2022. [Photo/catl.com]

The Qilin battery produced by Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), the world's largest manufacturer of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, which is based in Fujian province, was recently listed among the Best Inventions of 2022 by TIME magazine.

The battery, which CATL says will start shipping to automakers this year, can go a "unicorn-like" 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) on a single charge. The power comes from its new cell-to-pack (CTP) technology, which uses a single structure for the battery pack rather than connecting a group of individual modules together like traditional EV batteries. CATL says the Qilin's design also keeps the battery cooler, resulting in faster charging rates.