"I escaped the range anxiety of new energy vehicles, but I couldn't escape the trouble of being trapped on the island. This is the voice of many Hainan self-driving tour owners during the Spring Festival holiday.
Why does a holiday of enjoying the warmth and sunshine make new energy vehicles fall into the "dilemma" of being difficult to leave the island?
The explanation given by the Hainan Provincial Department of Transportation is that because new energy vehicles have large-capacity batteries, they are very easy to cause spontaneous combustion and cause fires in the case of high temperature exposure or improper charging of the vehicle, and this kind of fire spreads rapidly, is difficult to extinguish, and easily threatens the safety of ships and people on board.
Therefore, the ferry company has strict requirements for new energy vehicles, such as the number of new energy vehicles carried per voyage shall not exceed 10% of the ship's vehicle quota (calculated as a small car), and the total number shall not exceed 18, and the new energy vehicle area needs to be parked in the designated area after boarding.
This is obviously another "lesson" for new energy vehicle owners.
Electricity anxiety, it is difficult to grab a ticket and board ......the shipThe experience of the magic series of the Spring Festival holiday in 2024 has made many consumers begin to reflect on what kind of car we need under the wave of electrification.
Do you continue to buy high-cost fuel vehicles, or do you have to endure all kinds of anxiety about switching to electric cars? The author believes that from the perspective of the current full-scenario complex operating environment, HEV gasoline-hybrid models are the best solution that is most suitable for the current reality of green vehicles.
HEV models should not be left out in the cold
In communication studies, there is a theory called "mimetic environment", which means that "there is a gap between the external environment in most people's cognition and the objective reality".
If the theory of "mimicry environment" is placed in the current Chinese auto market, it is also quite suitable.
At present, the limelight of China's auto market has almost been stolen by new power brands, and the sales of EV (pure electric) and PHEV (plug-in hybrid) new energy vehicles seem to have become the mainstream ......This may be the image in the minds of many consumers.
It is undeniable that electrification is the future trend of the automotive industry, and the "inductive" experience of EV models and PHEV models, more intelligent and convenient vehicle machine operation, and lower car cost have indeed given users a fresh experience, which has also become an important factor in the continuous improvement of the penetration rate of new energy vehicles.
With the strong performance of EV models and PHEV models, HEV models are much inferior. So much so that many consumers have the illusion that "HEV models have gradually been left out of the market".
However, this is a "mimetic environment". Despite the strong sales of EV and PHEV models, the performance of HEV models is also remarkable.
Taking the Spring Festival holiday in 2024 as an example, in the face of road congestion caused by extreme weather before the holiday, HEV hybrid models do not have battery life problems, and HEV hybrid models do not encounter the dilemma of "remote island" due to safety issues.
It can be said that this accident has not only brought EV models and PHEV models to the forefront, but also made HEV models continue to return to the center of the current automobile market.
In addition, in the process of re-understanding HEV models in the market, policies have also brought a spring breeze to the development of HEVs.
In 2020, the Society of Automotive Engineers of China released the "Energy-saving and New Energy Vehicle Technology Roadmap 2".0", by 2035, the share of traditional energy passenger vehicles will be converted into HEVs.
In August 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other seven ministries and commissions jointly issued the "Work Plan for the Steady Growth of the Automotive Industry (2023-2024)", which proposes to stabilize the consumption of fuel vehicles, and encourage enterprises to be green and low-carbon-oriented, actively explore technical routes such as hybrid and low-carbon fuels, and promote the steady development of the fuel vehicle market.
This encouragement of "hybrid" and "low-carbon fuel" technology routes is undoubtedly a reaffirmation of the HEV route at the official level.
In terms of market sales, data shows that in the first three quarters of 2023, the number of HEV models insured was 66150,000 units. Entering 2024, there is a leading show that according to market trends and the development plans of some brands, the market demand for HEV models is expected to continue to grow. This also means that HEV models have not been forgotten by the market, and they are still a key player in the responsibility of carbon neutrality.
With a grasp of all-scenario travel, HEV is more "universal".
Previously, some industry insiders boldly speculated: "China's automobile market is likely to cross the HEV hybrid stage and directly enter a new era of revolution by extending range, plug-in hybrid instead of fuel vehicles, and electric vehicles replacing high-end vehicles." ”
However, the market is not static, and the exploration of automotive technology paths will not be monotonous. For example, in the past two years, there has been a dispute between the technical route of range extender and plug-in hybrid in the domestic new energy vehicle market, as well as a big discussion on single-speed and multi-gear hybrid technology.
After a long period of debate and practice, the range extender began to be accepted by more and more users, and "single-speed" and "multi-gear" hybrids also coexisted in the market. These phenomena all show that user choice will eventually return to rationality, and users are still pursuing practicality when buying cars.
In other words, the long-standing demand for long battery life and low energy consumption has not changed. In this context, the basic idea of the technology adopted by most car companies is to increase the mileage of the vehicle itself in the most direct way by adjusting the body structure, plugging a larger capacity battery, and improving the energy density of the battery cell.
However, this approach cannot completely solve the problems of range anxiety and inconvenience of energy replenishment. Therefore, for ordinary users, if they pursue the ultimate acceleration experience, they must find ways to dispel the range anxiety of pure electric models. If you don't want the fuel consumption of a single-speed plug-in hybrid model, a multi-speed plug-in electric hybrid model, and a high-speed fatigue that is common in plug-in hybrid vehicles, then a HEV hybrid is the most reliable choice.
Compared with range-extender and plug-in hybrid models, why can HEV models be fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly, while also taking into account power control? The answer lies in how HEV models work. HEV, the full name of hybrid electric vehicle in English, is a hybrid electric vehicle, which uses a conventional engine and an electric motor to drive the wheels.
The advantage of HEV models is that when the vehicle starts and stops, it is only driven by the generator, and the engine does not work if it does not reach a certain speed, so it can keep the engine in the best working condition, with good power and low emissions, and the first electric energy is the engine, just refuel, no charging pile, no mileage anxiety, and the capacity requirements for the battery are not as high as pure electric and plug-in hybrid models.
More specifically, from the perspective of use scenarios, regardless of any climate, terrain, and infrastructure construction level, HEV models can allow consumers to obtain an energy-saving and emission-reduction experience; In terms of the use cost of the whole life cycle, the HEV model itself has very little battery consumption, does not need to install charging piles, does not need to be charged, and the battery can have the same life as the vehicle, which is more economical; In terms of learning cost, HEV models have no learning cost, and they can be directly switched with fuel vehicles in terms of driving habits.
Because of this, HEV hybrid models avoid all kinds of embarrassing scenarios encountered by EV models and PHEV models during the 2024 Chinese New Year.
Although the discussion on China's auto market route and hybrid technology will continue, and the voice of "vehicle electrification is the future" will become louder and louder, the author believes that for ordinary users, "living in the present" is more rational and pragmatic. In other words, under the current conditions, HEV models are more practical and are the best option to buy a car as a family car.
Write at the end:
Although all car companies are emphasizing: "This is an era of accelerated iteration of technology, more environmentally friendly and convenient travel, who can solve the balance between the general trend of auto market policies and the various needs of users, who can have the last laugh in the competition." ”
However, from the perspective of the exploration and development of new energy technology paths, most of them have fallen into a misunderstanding of "showing off their skills", while ignoring the importance of bringing consumers a better product experience. Because of this, the importance of the HEV route is seriously underestimated in the Chinese automotive market.
However, with the inclination of policies and the continuous improvement of market attention, there are still many car companies that are making efforts to develop HEV technology routes and continue to increase R&D investment in HEV technology. It is foreseeable that in the future, driven by policies and markets, HEV models will still have very broad market prospects and high practical value. At the same time, with the continuous technological empowerment and innovation of car companies, HEV models will continue to break the technical bottleneck and meet consumers' demands for "electrified driving experience, the convenience of fuel vehicles, and low vehicle costs".