A battery fault no longer has to mean a new battery. Saba Azizi has built CATL’s battery service network across Europe, the Middle East and Africa since 2021. She says drivers and fleets need a new way to judge EV battery health, and Europe needs the technicians to deliver it.
Azizi is Head of Service Network & Business Development at CATL, the world’s largest maker of electric-vehicle batteries. She spoke in an interview with EVLife ahead of her panel at the Women Automotive Europe summit.
Why is CATL so important in the battery market?
CATL supplied 39.2 per cent of the world’s EV batteries by installed capacity in 2025, according to SNE Research data. That equalled 464.7 GWh, more than double second-placed BYD. It was CATL’s ninth consecutive year as the leading supplier. Its 2025 annual report shows net profit up 42 per cent to RMB 72.2 billion, with RMB 22.1 billion spent on research.
In 2019, CATL unveiled its cell-to-pack design, which puts cells straight into the battery pack. Older designs grouped cells into separate modules first. CATL’s approach uses 40 per cent fewer components. In April 2026, it launched six new batteries. They include a third-generation Shenxing LFP battery that CATL says charges from 10 to 80 per cent in under four minutes. Its Naxtra sodium-ion battery is due for full-scale mass production by the end of 2026.
In Europe, CATL already makes batteries in Germany. Its plant in Debrecen, Hungary, began trial cell production on 22 September. Meanwhile, construction has begun on a €4.1 billion joint venture plant with Stellantis in Zaragoza, Spain. Those batteries also need servicing once they’re on the road. CATL set up an aftermarket department in 2015 and turned it into an independent brand, NING SERVICE, in 2024. The network now counts 1,394 service locations across 85 countries and targets 10,000 by 2030. Azizi’s team builds it across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
On 24 September, NING SERVICE opened an 8,000 square metre centre in Oslo, its largest outside Asia. Norway leads the world on EV adoption, with fully electric cars taking 98.7 per cent of new registrations in August. Azizi calls the centre “a major milestone” for CATL’s aftersales presence in Europe. It offers diagnostics, maintenance, repair, spare parts and advanced battery services for Norway and the wider Nordic region. “The key principle is to repair where possible instead of replacing the whole battery,” she says.
Saba Azizi, CATL.
Should drivers worry about their battery?
“My first message is: don’t be afraid of your battery,” Azizi says. “Modern batteries are designed to last.” CATL’s service records back this up. Battery ageing, she says, “is natural and gradual. It’s not a sudden end-of-life event.” Usage, charging behaviour, temperature and mileage all shape how a pack ages. Independent tests show similar results. For example, a Volkswagen ID.3 kept 91 per cent of its battery capacity after 160,000km in a test by ADAC.
For owners of electric cars and plug-in hybrids, she recommends following the carmaker’s charging guidance. She also advises against keeping the battery at a very high or very low state of charge for long periods.
In addition, she suggests watching extreme temperatures and using regular diagnostics. “Above all, think about battery health proactively, not only after a warning appears,” she says.
How can owners and buyers check battery health?
Azizi sees State of Health (SOH) diagnostics as the key tool. SOH compares how much energy a battery can store today with its capacity when new. A service centre can measure it in detail. NING SERVICE’s health assessment draws on 45 online and 28 offline analyses, according to CATL. Its non-destructive test finds faults in about 15 minutes with more than 90 per cent accuracy.
Under the EU’s Euro 7 regulation, new car types approved from 29 November 2026 must carry an SOH monitor, with the data available to users. Their batteries must also keep 80 per cent of their capacity after five years or 100,000km, whichever comes first. In addition, digital battery passports become mandatory for EV batteries sold in the EU from 18 February 2027.
For second-hand buyers, Azizi sees accessible health checks and certification as a real opportunity for the used-EV market. CATL is already exploring that model in China, including cooperation with insurers.
“So the better question isn’t ‘How old is the battery?’ It’s ‘What is its actual health?'” she says.
A NING Service centre.
Does a battery fault mean a new battery?
Historically, cell-to-pack batteries had a reputation for being hard to repair. CATL’s service arm, NING SERVICE, now runs diagnostics at pack, module and cell level to find the exact fault. Technicians then repair or replace only the affected part, including flexible printed circuits, cooling plates, lower housings and battery blocks.
CATL diagnoses faults down to individual cells, though it doesn’t currently repair the cell itself. Instead, Azizi says, faulty cells can be replaced with new ones at CATL’s remanufacturing plant in Hungary. As a result, repair bills fall, downtime shortens and less material goes to waste.
Awareness is CATL’s biggest challenge, Azizi says. “Many drivers still assume that a battery problem means a new battery.” CATL’s message to customers, partners and the media is consistent: battery service is moving towards diagnosis and repair.
For fleet operators, downtime adds to the bill. “The real cost isn’t just the repair. It’s the repair plus the vehicle’s downtime,” she says. NING SERVICE has cut turnaround for complex repairs from 72 to 48 hours. Azizi wants battery health in fleet strategy from day one, with health checks, preventive maintenance and early warning of faults.
At end of life, recycling comes last. CATL first checks the battery’s condition, then considers repair, reuse, remanufacturing and repurposing.
CATL has begun trial production on 22, September, 2026 in its newly build cell factory in Debrecen.
Which skills does battery service need?
“Sophisticated technology needs sophisticated people,” Azizi says. The work calls for high-voltage safety training, battery diagnostics, electrical and mechanical knowledge, software and data skills, and hands-on repair. Technicians also need a firm grasp of process, quality and customer needs.
Azizi sees a shortage of such people. “Europe’s biggest gap is finding enough people with battery-specific skills and practical experience,” she says. CATL’s training network covers 39 European countries, and the Oslo centre is its main training hub for the Nordics.
In 2021, Azizi’s team had three to five service stations across the region. Today it has more than 155. France and Turkey come next, followed by Spain, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and the UK. However, each country sets its own rules for certifying high-voltage technicians and transporting damaged batteries. Azizi wants common European standards, with safety kept first.
How did a carmaker career shape her view?
Azizi spent six years at Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi in supply chain and aftersales procurement. At a carmaker, she says, the battery was one part of the vehicle. At CATL it has a full lifecycle of its own. “My biggest lesson is that selling a battery is not the end. It’s the beginning of a long-term customer relationship.”
Azizi also has advice for women considering a technical career in EVs. “Don’t wait until you feel 100% ready. Just start,” she says. “Don’t be intimidated by being the only woman in the room.”
What is her key message for Women Automotive Europe?
On her summit panel about regionalisation, Azizi argues that the idea has to continue after a vehicle is delivered, through local service, trained people, spare parts and technical support. She says her key message is that “regionalization is not about closing doors. It’s about building stronger local capabilities while staying globally connected.”
