Is the semi-solid state battery released by NIO two years ago really coming?
This morning, Li Bin, founder and CEO of NIO Motors, gave a live broadcast of the "1000 km True Range Challenge for Electric Vehicles". He drove the NIO ET7 with a 150 degree battery pack and set off from Shanghai for range testing.
Yesterday noon, Li Bin himself previewed this live broadcast on Weibo, saying, "150 degree battery pack, everyone has been waiting for a long time! Currently, all models on the first and second generation platforms have completed verification and announcement, and the team has also conducted various tests. The performance indicators such as range have exceeded expectations."
Under Li Bin's aforementioned Weibo account, Xiaopeng Motors Chairman He Xiaopeng also called him: "Brother, it is recommended to prepare a super large cup of coffee, as this should be the longest live broadcast related to electric vehicle endurance." In today's live broadcast, Li Bin also called He Xiaopeng to thank him for "calling" himself and suggested that He Xiaopeng also do a live broadcast. "I strongly recommend that you also do a live broadcast, it's quite fun."
The Securities Times reporter noticed that as of press release, Li Bin is still conducting this live broadcast, but he is already sitting in the passenger seat, driven by someone else's relay. According to the live broadcast, as of 1:00 noon, it has traveled 500 kilometers with 55% remaining battery and a comprehensive energy consumption of 13.7 kWh per 100 kilometers. In car temperature 23# 8451;, Environmental temperature 8# 8451;.
Li Bin: The most advanced technology in global mass-produced battery packs
It is understood that the NIO 150kWh battery pack (150 degree battery pack) was released on NIO Day in 2021. It uses a solid-liquid hybrid electrolyte and is a semi-solid battery with an energy density of 360Wh/kg, surpassing the Ningde Times Kirin battery (255Wh/kg). Although the battery pack has a larger capacity, it is the same size as NIO's 100kWh and 75kWh battery packs and can still support battery swapping.
In the live broadcast that started at 6:30 this morning, Li Bin has also been revealing more information about the 150 degree battery pack to users. Li Bin stated that the NIO 150 degree battery pack is the most advanced technology in the global mass-produced battery pack. The announcement and testing of the vehicle model have been completed, and the production phase has begun recently. It will be delivered to users in the near future.
It should be noted that low temperatures have always been a major killer of electric vehicle range. When new energy vehicles are in a low-temperature environment, the battery power and driving losses will accelerate, leading to a reduction in winter range, slower battery charging speed, and high power consumption in the air conditioning and heating systems. This has become a difficult problem for car owners to solve when using new energy vehicles in winter.
The outdoor temperature during Li Bin's live broadcast was below 10 degrees, so it is still unknown whether Li Bin and his 150kWh battery pack can ultimately complete the challenge of 1000 kilometers of range. However, as of 1:00 noon, Li Bin has already completed half of his target for this live broadcast -500 kilometers, showing that there is still 55% remaining electricity. Li Bin also said during a live call with He Xiaopeng that 1000 kilometers should not be a big problem, but the temperature is relatively low today, and when departing from Shanghai, it was only -2&# 8451;, Currently, it's less than 10&# 8451;, The impact is still quite significant.
In fact, the third-party organization DCD recently held the 2023 "DCD Winter Test" event in Mohe, and the related "pure electric continuous flight success rate" has been questioned by many car companies.
However, once Li Bin successfully completes this "electric vehicle 1000 kilometer real range challenge", it may also mean that the new energy vehicle range war will once again start. At present, the range of new energy vehicles is generally around 600 kilometers, and it is severely discounted in winter. Once new energy vehicles can reach a range of 1000 kilometers in winter, combined with various car companies' overcharging technology, range may no longer be the key factor restricting the takeoff of new energy vehicles.
Li Bin also suggested during the live broadcast, "In the future, CEOs of major car companies will personally test the true range of their own electric vehicles, after all, CEOs can handle it, and ordinary users will definitely be similar."
At the same time, Li Bin also stated in the live broadcast that NIO's battery strategy is "rechargeable, interchangeable, and upgradeable". Vehicles that have been delivered can also choose to upgrade their batteries according to the needs of users. In the future, users can rent a 150 degree battery pack on a daily basis when they have long-distance needs, and can exchange it for a regular battery pack after the demand ends.
"Today's test is to let everyone know that wherever gasoline powered cars can go, electric vehicles can go. The release of this battery has been delayed compared to the original plan, mainly because the technology is too advanced. With our upgraded battery swapping service, it can solve the needs of a few user scenarios and alleviate concerns about battery life," said Li Bin.
In fact, not only NIO, but also many companies in the new energy vehicle industry chain are actively researching and developing solid-state batteries. From the perspective of loading progress, according to the official WeChat official account of Ganfeng Lithium, the solid state batteries of Ganfeng Lithium will be loaded in small quantities into Dongfeng E70 in 2021; According to the official WeChat official account of Weilan New Energy, Weilan New Energy will officially deliver semi-solid batteries to Weilai in June 2023; According to SolidPower's announcement, SolidPower delivered the A-1 solid-state power battery to BMW in October 2023. From the perspective of automotive companies, according to the investor interaction platform of SAIC Group's Panorama Network, SAIC Smart will be equipped with Qingtao Energy semi-solid state batteries in 2024. BMW announced in the company's announcement that it plans to launch its first prototype car based on SolidPower technology before 2025. GAC Group announced at the Guangzhou International Auto Show in November 2023 that it will achieve full solid state battery installation in 2026.
The industrialization of solid-state batteries has kicked off
It is understood that in the face of demand for new energy and smart grids, the market urgently needs to support the development of chemical energy storage technologies with high safety, long lifespan, and high specific energy. The advantages of solid-state batteries, such as high energy density, good safety performance, and wide operating temperature range, are particularly prominent in these needs.
Compared to traditional lithium batteries, the energy density of solid-state batteries can be increased from 300Wh/kg to 500Wh/kg, greatly enhancing their endurance. In terms of safety, due to the high elastic modulus of the solid electrolyte in solid-state batteries, it can effectively inhibit the growth of lithium dendrites and improve the safety performance of the battery. In addition, solid-state batteries achieve wide temperature range operation through the use of superionic conductors, solid-liquid bonding, thermal management, and other methods.
Against the backdrop of national encouragement for the development of solid-state batteries, various enterprises have invested in research and development and laid out related production capacity. The Ganfeng Lithium 20GWh New Lithium Battery Technology Industrial Park project will commence in 2022; Weilan New Energy completed the factory construction and production line investment of the vehicle grade solid-state power cell industrialization project in November 2022; Huineng Technology plans to build a new battery factory in Dunkirk, northern France, with production expected to begin in 2026.
In terms of the progress of solid-state batteries, Japanese companies are equally strong. As the car company with the most solid-state battery related patents in the world, Toyota has over 1000 all solid-state battery patents. Recently, Toyota has predicted that the production of all solid state batteries will be postponed to after 2030. The original estimated production date was 2027, and this change means that the technological development of all solid state batteries is facing challenges. Although the development of solid-state battery technology is not as smooth as imagined, Toyota still plans to sell over 3.5 million electric vehicles by 2030.
Haitong International pointed out that Chinese power battery companies need to pay attention to Toyota's breakthroughs in solid-state battery technology and accelerate their progress towards the next stage of the new energy industry. In China, due to technological difficulties and production costs, battery companies generally choose a gradual development path from liquid to semi-solid and then to solid. China has taken the lead in the field of liquid batteries for new energy vehicles, but overall, the research and development progress and emphasis on solid-state batteries are still insufficient.
At present, some manufacturers maintain a cautious attitude towards the commercialization route of solid-state batteries, mainly in the following aspects: Firstly, the mainstream electric vehicles in China prioritize cost. The manufacturing cost of solid-state batteries is relatively high, and it is currently difficult to compare with traditional liquid lithium-ion batteries. Whether the future solid-state battery route can help parking lots reduce actual costs remains to be considered. Secondly, the production process and equipment of solid-state batteries still need to be further improved and optimized. In addition, the long-term stability and durability of solid-state batteries still need further verification.
However, Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the CAS Member and a professor of Tsinghua University, once pointed out that although all solid state battery technology still faces many challenges, it is still a goal worth pursuing. This goal is not short-term, but can be seen as an innovative goal for 2030, which is related to China's comprehensive strength in the field of new energy. He emphasized the need to attach great importance to this technological route.
Bank of China Securities stated that semi-solid batteries will be an intermediate solution for the transition from liquid batteries to all solid batteries. Currently, a large number of car companies have announced the expected installation time of semi-solid batteries. 2023 may be the first year of semi-solid battery installation, and the industrialization of semi-solid batteries will gradually begin by 2025.
