With the increasing popularity of new energy vehicles, the construction of overseas charging pile market has become one of the hottest topics in the current new energy industry. In foreign countries, there is a huge gap in the construction of charging piles, while the domestic market is facing a serious involution problem. Many people in the industry believe that the dividend period of China's manufacturing industry has brought huge development opportunities for the charging pile industry, especially for those companies that can seize the opportunity, overseas markets will become the main direction of their development.
According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), in the first half of 2023, the sales of electric vehicles in EU countries reached 1.42 million units, but the construction of charging piles did not keep up, resulting in a vehicle-to-pile ratio of 16:1. The situation is even more dire in the United States, which has 13 public charging stations as of 202210,000, but the number of new energy vehicles is about 3.3 million, and the ratio of public vehicles to piles has increased from 5 in 20111 rose to 25 in 20221。These data reveal a huge potential growth space for the overseas charging pile market.
In the past few years, the demand for overseas charging pile markets has continued to surge and has become a popular commodity on major cross-border e-commerce platforms around the world. In March this year alone, the procurement demand for overseas charging piles skyrocketed by 218%. According to the China Association, in the next five years, the proportion of Chinese companies in the European and American charging pile market is expected to reach 30%-50%. With the popularization of new energy vehicles around the world, the construction of charging infrastructure is also gradually accelerating.
In this market full of opportunities, Chinese charging pile companies have accelerated the pace of going overseas. According to the cross-border index of Ali International Station, in 2022, the overseas business opportunities of new energy vehicle charging piles will grow rapidly by 245%, and it is expected that there will be nearly 3 times the demand space in the future. In the face of this huge market demand, Chinese companies have actively responded and established enterprises related to the export of charging piles.
Among the many charging pile companies that go overseas, fast charging has become a key layout object. At present, Chinese companies have developed various types of products, including fast charging, slow charging, and integration of optical storage, charging and inspection. However, in order to succeed in overseas markets, Chinese charging pile companies still need to overcome some challenges.
First of all, battery certification is the first hurdle to go to sea. The main industry standards that need to be paid attention to in the industry are European standard CE certification and American standard UL certification. CE certification is compulsory certification, the certification cycle is 1-2 months, the main applicable area is the EU member states, the certification cost is about hundreds of thousands of yuan;UL certification is one of the main certification standards for charging pile products to enter the U.S. market, with a certification cycle of about 6 months and a cost of up to millions of yuan. In addition, the interface standards of charging piles in different countries and regions are also different, and enterprises need to re-establish the project to develop and adjust the interface to adapt to the standards of different countries and regions.
Secondly, channel construction is also a major difficulty. There are a certain degree of customer barriers in foreign markets, and Chinese companies need to overcome the problem of insufficient brand power and develop customers through multiple channels. Many Chinese manufacturers have found another way to expand their business by participating in international charging pile exhibitions and other channels. At the same time, actively participating in the international charging pile exhibition is also a good opportunity to show its own products and technologies.
In the European and American markets, rapid energy replenishment has always been an urgent need for tram owners. In addition to homes and workplaces, fast-charging services are required for highways, shopping malls, parking lots, and other scenarios. However, there is a big difference in the number of AC and DC piles in the European and American markets, and only about 10% of the public charging piles are fast-charging DC piles. With the promotion of policies and the growth of market demand, the growth rate of the fast charging DC pile market will continue to accelerate. The Soochow Research Institute predicts that by 2025, the market space in Europe and the United States will reach 18.7 billion yuan and 7.9 billion yuan respectively, with a compound growth rate of 76% and 112% respectively.
With the popularization of new energy vehicles, the demand for overseas charging pile market is growing, but there are also problems such as certification standards and channel construction. Chinese charging pile companies are actively exploring overseas markets and are facing huge market opportunities and challenges.
In order to promote the development of new energy vehicles, a series of subsidy policies have been introduced. Germany has provided high subsidies for high-power charging piles, while the federal government of the United States has also provided $5 billion in subsidies to support the construction of public charging piles. These policies not only stimulate market demand, but also provide more business opportunities for Chinese charging pile companies.
In the context of favorable policies, major domestic charging pile companies have accelerated overseas standard certification to seize market share. Among them, Wang Yang, founder and CEO of Nenglian Zhidian, observed that last year, many charging pile companies going overseas were actively carrying out CE in Europe, UL and other standards in the United States to prepare for this year's market volume.
It can be said that the European and American markets have very strict requirements for charging pile products, and the certification cycle is long and expensive. This is also the time for Chinese charging pile companies to face some challenges in the process of going overseas. In addition, there are also differences in charging pile interface standards in different countries and regions, which requires enterprises to re-adjust and develop products.
In order to better adapt to market demand and policy changes, Chinese charging pile companies need to strengthen R&D and product innovation, expand channels and partnerships. Understanding the local market and policy trends is also one of the key factors for business success. Gan Chunming concluded: "Staying sensitive to policy trends and maintaining communication with industry associations, local organizations, and departments is part of business management. According to the changes in market demand, rules and wind direction, to adjust the business and product layout in advance, this kind of prediction is not only where the risk of going overseas lies, but also where the opportunity lies. ”
With the increase in demand for high-power DC piles and supercharging piles in the European and American markets, supporting components such as liquid-cooled charging gun cables for charging modules are also expected to become new export growth pointsBut at the same time, it should also be noted that the United States requires that all subsidized charging piles must be manufactured in the United States, and Europe is also promoting the implementation of relevant policies. Once these policies are implemented, they will have a direct impact on the export of charging piles, and in the face of these challenges and opportunities, Chinese charging pile companies need to flexibly respond to market changes, strengthen cooperation with local partners, and jointly explore overseas markets. By seizing policy opportunities, strengthening R&D and innovation, and expanding channel cooperation, Chinese charging pile companies are expected to achieve greater success in overseas markets.
To sum up, Chinese charging pile companies are facing many challenges and opportunities when going overseas. To successfully enter overseas markets and gain a competitive advantage, companies need to pay attention to local standards and policy changes, strengthen R&D and product innovation, expand channels and partnerships, and respond flexibly to market changes. At the same time, seizing the opportunities of the fast charging market and meeting the needs of car owners for rapid energy replenishment will be one of the key factors for the success of enterprises.