"Martial arts in the world, only fast is not broken!"."In the martial arts rivers and lakes written by masters such as Gu Long and Jin Yong, the major parties are facing each other, and the martial arts moves are repeated. But in the final analysis, it is also inseparable from the word offense and defense. For the automotive industry, various brands are naturally inseparable from their martial arts secrets in the process of the game.
If it is said that the continuous introduction of new products and continuous iteration of intelligence is the "offensive" launched by car companies to a larger market share, then the technological breakthrough achieved through hard work is the "art of resisting the enemy" to resist all external forces in the process of brand development. Nowadays, with the advent of the new energy era, car companies want to achieve a balance between offense and defense, and self-developed batteries are definitely one of the unavoidable paths.
At present, there are not many car companies in the industry with the strength of self-developed batteries. However, the advantages brought by self-developed batteries have long been apparent. Taking BYD as an example, after the launch of the blade battery, it has relied on its "own strength" to promote the rapid development of the lithium iron phosphate market. At this year's Guangzhou Auto Show, Changan Automobile, which has been moving recently, also officially announced that it will enter the field of battery self-research and released a new battery brand "Golden Bell Jar".
On December 2, according to the latest investor relations activity record released by Changan Automobile, Changan Automobile is currently accelerating the development of new electrolyte materials and key processes for semi-solid-state and solid-state batteries, and plans to gradually mass produce applications from 2025. It is worth noting that the time node of 2025 is 5 years earlier than the loading time announced at the Guangzhou Auto Show. So what preparations has Changan Automobile made in the field of batteries?Through fragmented information, we may be able to find the answer.
Technology focuses on energy density improvement
As a component that can account for 40% of the cost of new energy, it is not easy for car companies to develop their own batteries. Although some car companies have successfully launched battery products and mass production, there are still several car companies that have shouted that they have developed their own batteries and have not been able to come up with mass production products.
In the "Golden Bell Jar" battery plan announced by Changan Automobile, it is focusing on the development of breakthroughs in battery cell technology in terms of technical routes. Focusing on the modification of liquid battery materials and system optimization, we will carry out technical research, continuously improve the energy density of the battery, and achieve the application of 3C, the popularization of 5C, and the pre-research of 7C, so as to achieve the fastest charging of 7 minutes and a range of 400 kilometers.
At the same time, Changan Automobile is also deeply engaged in the development of new electrolyte materials and key processes for semi-solid-state and solid-state batteries, and is actively developing leading solid-state batteries based on the needs of the whole vehicle, which will be gradually mass-produced and applied from 2025, with a weight energy density of 350-500Wh kg and a volumetric energy density of 750-1000Wh L, and will be fully popularized and applied in 2030. In terms of new batteries, we are working on the design of prototype cells for new batteries such as lithium-sulfur batteries and metal batteries, and the energy density is expected to exceed 1300-1500 wh kg, and we aim to achieve installation and application by 2035.
In terms of product layout, Changan Automobile plans to launch 8 self-developed battery cells such as liquid, semi-solid, and solid-state by 2030 to form a battery production capacity of 50-80GWh. In terms of battery pack integration, the first CTV technology will be mass-produced in 2024 and achieve a group efficiency of 86%. In terms of battery energy system, through the expansion of technology, products and business models, we will build a complete renewable energy ecosystem with "energy" as the main line, form an industrial closed loop of energy production, storage and utilization, and maximize the value of the whole industry chain.
In addition, Changan Automobile has established an advanced battery research institute, with more than 1,200 battery R&D personnel, including 125 senior experts and top academic talents. In the future, 10 billion yuan will be invested to reach 3,000 battery teams by 2024. Changan Automobile has built a mature and complete R&D management, capacity management, and marketing management system, continues to tackle core technologies, and will focus on achieving new breakthroughs in material innovation and system integration innovation.
Rapid scale is key
As we all know, the self-developed battery of car companies is an out-and-out asset-heavy project. In the production process, it involves many components such as battery cells, battery systems, and battery core components, and requires a lot of investment from capacity construction to the first-class chain system. Therefore, in the early stage of self-developed batteries, losing money is an inevitable result.
As early as the beginning of 2021, NIO has set up a battery cell R&D team internally and began to prepare for self-developed battery cells. In addition to the network cell department, there is also a dedicated solid-state battery forward-looking R&D team. However, not long ago, NIO was rumored to postpone the mass production of self-developed batteries.
Although NIO said that the postponement of the mass production of batteries is due to business needs, and the project is also progressing normally according to the new mass production time. But at the end of the day, there are funding difficulties.
At the same time, the original intention of car companies to develop their own batteries is almost always to hope that they can make greater breakthroughs in cost control through their own R&D and production advantages. Zeng Qinghong, chairman of Guangzhou Automobile Group, once said that when lithium carbonate ** is more than 400,000 yuan per ton, car companies will have no money to make from producing electric vehicles. When lithium carbonate** drops to 250,000 yuan per ton, car companies can solve the problem of profitability of their own brands.
However, according to industry consulting companies**, if car companies develop their own batteries, they need to produce at least 500,000 new energy vehicles or battery production scale of more than 15GWh to have a cost advantage. For Changan Automobile, it may not be difficult to complete the production capacity threshold of 500,000 units.
On November 24, the Times Changan Power Battery, a joint venture between Changan Automobile, Deep Blue Automobile and CATL, officially rolled off the assembly line of the first standard battery cell of "Golden Bell Jar". It is understood that Times Changan has adopted the latest generation of super wire pulling technology, which can achieve ultra-high flexibility and rapid changeover. The factory automation rate reaches more than 95%, and one battery cell can be produced in 1 second in the whole cycle from feeding to finished product output. At present, Changan Qiyuan and Deep Blue Automobile have been equipped with Changan "Golden Bell Jar" batteries produced by Times Changan.
And in terms of market performance, Changan Automobile's new energy products also have excellent performance. According to the data, from January to November this year, the sales volume of Changan Automobile's independent new energy brand has exceeded 400,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 835%。At the same time, in the globalization strategy of "embracing all rivers" plan, Deep Blue Automobile has begun to seize the Thai new energy market, laying a good foundation for further expansion of the scale.
It can be said that after rapid layout and development, Changan Automobile has the technical reserves and prerequisites required for self-developed batteries, which has paved the way for the subsequent large-scale popularization of "Golden Bell Jar" batteries. While helping Changan Automobile accelerate its transformation into an intelligent low-carbon travel technology company, it also adds a new source of power to its development into a world-class automobile brand.