Does BYD's mixed reputation make it hard to beat back the Ningde era?

When it comes to the topic of China's new energy vehicles, you can't avoid BYD. Although its reputation in China is mixed, as one of the few new energy automobile manufacturers that have mastered the core technology of "three powers" (battery, motor and electric control), its strength in power battery manufacturing and technology research and development cannot be underestimated, and it plays a pivotal role even in the world.

With the intensification of the competition in China's new energy vehicle industry, many powerful new energy enterprises have emerged, even shaking up BYD 's leading position in China's power battery industry, the typical representative of which is Ningde new energy technology co., LTD. (CATL).

Many people may have never heard of this company before. After all, it is only one of many suppliers behind many enterprises. Even if the products sell well, battery products and brands will not be familiar to the public and market because of the hot style model, just like foxconn did to apple before. That may be why the Ningde era, in a few short years, has seen its size and sales soar, but it is far less well known than BYD.

But in fact, as long as the power battery has a little understanding of people, will certainly know the "Ningde era" this name. The company originally registered in 2011, at that time because of the parent company of new energy technology co., LTD. (ATL) for power battery into hesitate, so at the end of 2012, part of the management and the national capital of ATL founded the CATL, also in the same year, brilliance BMW brilliance with CATL decision in the planning of the BMW brand new energy car and its high voltage battery project cooperation, thus CATL formally enter the power batteries.

After just 5 years of development, in the global sales list of power battery enterprises in 2016, Ningde times battery production capacity shipments have achieved the third good performance, the first runner-up is Japan's Panasonic and China's BYD; Last year, however, the Ningde era erupted in full force, with 10 years to go. The 4GWh won the title of China's largest battery supplier in terms of installed capacity, and byd won the title with 5. 43GWh's installed capacity and 15% market share rank second in the industry. This situation is closely related to the sales of new energy vehicles for the entire enterprise supplied by both sides.

This is also the result of the two completely different development business model. BYD's power battery technology used to adopt the closed production and operation mode of self-production and self-marketing. The benefits of this approach are obvious. The supply chain is controlled by the company itself, and the quality control is more convenient.

However, the market of new energy vehicles is changing rapidly. With the clarity of the technology route, the products are gradually shaped, and with the further deepening of globalization, self-production and self-marketing have become a little outdated. Although at the end of 2017, byd revealed that it would open its power battery business to the outside world to operate independently and improve the company's profitability. This is a good thing for many new energy vehicle companies that lack battery core technology, but it will take time to implement it.

Ningde era, in contrast, from the beginning to open the supply mode, advantage, and relying on solid battery technology research and development strength to open new income except for brilliance BMW, saic, geely auto, Beijing new energy automobile companies such as suppliers, also to underwrite the wei to cars, new car companies such as horse car battery business.

And with the latest national new energy car subsidies focusing on range began, unit quality can store more energy lithium battery, naturally more popular. As a result, in the passenger car market, which requires higher energy density, three-yuan lithium battery becomes the first choice. However, before 2018, all passenger car models of byd are equipped with lithium iron phosphate battery packs. The ningde era adopted the two-legged strategy of combining lithium iron phosphate and lithium ternary battery, especially the full layout of lithium ternary battery, which was also interpreted as a major reason why it came from behind.

According to relevant data, the number of supporting models and suppliers of power battery in ningde times reached 390 and 64, respectively. In contrast, the number of supporting models of power battery in BYD was 78, and the number of suppliers was only 2.

In terms of supply alone, the multi-party alliance in the Ningde era has surpassed BYD 's self-sufficiency. Although BYD 's new energy vehicle products have a good sales volume, it is obviously a praying mantis to fight against the whole Chinese new energy vehicle industry on its own. So far, byd is losing the ultimate battle against the Chinese power battery giant. But is that really the case?

As we all know, power battery and lithium iron have been the technical route of three Yuan, is China's earlier walked lithium iron line, Japan and South Korea Europe and the United States is three Yuan route, so BYD as a transition into the first domestic leader in the field of new energy vehicles in China, the lithium iron battery technology research and development and manufacturing is, indeed, in the international leading position, while the Ningde era is also a fortune from lithium iron batteries, but late in the BYD, said its technology research deposit less than it is credible.

In addition, lithium iron phosphate is indeed safer than ternary lithium because there are too many unsafe factors in the battery itself. Therefore, in the passenger car market that pays more attention to safety, lithium iron phosphate battery applications account for a higher proportion.

Further analysis of industry data also reveals that lithium ternary accounted for 4 percent of power batteries sold in Ningde era in 2017. 63GWh, but lithium iron phosphate is even higher, 5. 74 GWH. It can be seen that the logic of "three lithium get the world" is specific to China's national conditions, and the restriction condition of "passenger car field" is implied behind. Therefore, if the scope is expanded to the whole new energy automobile industry, the situation may not be so simple.

From the current situation, Ningde times in power battery production capacity and supply do slightly better than BYD, but if from the energy density of lithium cubic shell cells, the technical level of the two almost no gap. In 2017, the energy density of square shell cells supplied by Ningde times in large quantities ranged from 190 wh/kg to 210 wh/kg, which is likely to be increased to 210 wh/kg by the end of 2018, while byd will mass produce 220Wh/kg square shell cells by the end of 2018.

As for the technical route in the medium term, BYD and Ningde times have kept the same commitment to research and development of lithium ion power batteries with high nickel ternary materials as the positive electrode and silicon carbon composite as the negative electrode. If this technology is successful, the energy density of the square shell cell is expected to exceed 300Wh/kg. However, the realization of this vision must be based on the mature industrial chain of silicon carbon materials. According to BYD, the supply chain of silicon carbon composites is not stable at present, which is also a concern of battery companies.

summary

Generally speaking, with the gradual opening of BYD 's battery business, it will compete with Ningde times in terms of capacity performance, technology level and market share. Though byd seems to be lagging behind, the competition is often a bumpy ride, with the winner uncertain. For the average user, the two companies' leadership in power batteries is already evident, a source of pride for China, and it would be great if they could work together to bring better and cheaper products to consumers through aggressive competition in the future.

The page contains the contents of the machine translation.