Key technological breakthroughs in lithium-ion battery packs:
1. Breakthrough progress has been made in the research and development of lithium-ion battery materials.
my country has achieved a major breakthrough in graphene-coated modified lithium-ion battery cathode and anode materials technology. Test results show that the graphene coating technology developed by the team at the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, can increase the specific capacity of lithium-ion battery cathode materials by 15%-25% and improve the capacity retention rate after 1000 cycles by 30%-40%; it can also increase the capacity of anode materials by 40%-45% and improve the capacity retention rate after 1000 cycles by 35%-50%.
The company has developed graphene conductive agents, carbon nanotube conductive agents, and graphite anode products for power lithium-ion batteries. Meanwhile, Narada Power has applied for two invention patents: "A lead-carbon battery anode plate containing lead-graphene composite material" and "A lead-graphene composite material."
2. The new dual-ion battery technology has lower cost and higher energy density.
According to reports, Tang Yongbing's invention, the aluminum-graphite dual-ion battery, is a novel, high-efficiency, and low-cost energy storage battery. This new battery uses graphite instead of lithium compounds in lithium-ion batteries as the positive electrode material, and aluminum foil as both the negative electrode material and the negative electrode current collector. The electrolyte consists of conventional lithium salts and carbonate-based organic solvents.
A 500kg aluminum-graphite battery can achieve a driving range of approximately 550 kilometers, while a conventional electric vehicle battery of the same weight can only achieve a maximum range of around 400 kilometers. Compared to traditional lithium-ion battery technology, the new aluminum-graphite battery can reduce production costs by approximately 40%-50% and increase energy density by at least 1.3-2.0 times.
The new energy vehicle industry is developing rapidly.
my country's new energy vehicle industry has entered a growth stage, representing the direction of industrial restructuring. It is projected that by 2020, my country's cumulative sales of new energy vehicles will reach 5 million units. By 2020, annual sales of domestically branded pure electric and plug-in hybrid new energy vehicles will exceed 1 million units, accounting for over 70% of the domestic market; by 2025, annual sales of new energy vehicles, on par with international advanced levels, will reach 3 million units, accounting for over 80% of the domestic market.
According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, wholesale sales of new energy vehicles reached 74,000 units in June, a year-on-year increase of 87.9%. The proportion of A00-class pure electric vehicles decreased from 62% in May to 33%, indicating that domestic brands are gradually achieving high-quality growth in new energy vehicles. In the first half of this year, 346,000 new energy passenger vehicles were sold, a year-on-year increase of 130%. my country's new energy vehicle industry is developing rapidly, with its technological strength ranking among the world's best. Further accelerating the development of the domestic industry is expected to significantly increase demand for lithium-ion battery packs.
Analysts point out that this year marks a transition for new energy vehicles, moving from policy support to market-driven development. With stable policies, the new energy vehicle industry is experiencing strong growth momentum, with sales remaining robust since the beginning of the year. In the long run, the national strategy of supporting the healthy development of the new energy vehicle industry remains unchanged, and the industry's prosperity is expected to further increase.
The downstream demand prospects for lithium-ion batteries are broad:
Downstream demand primarily comes from consumer electronics, including tablets and smartphones. The rapid development of new energy vehicles has brought unprecedented opportunities to the lithium battery industry, leading to the rapid growth of lithium battery companies.
On July 17, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) issued a notice regarding the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement. The notice stated that, given the long-term strategic partnership between CATL and BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., and to further deepen their cooperation, BMW Brilliance intends to purchase an RMB 815 million battery production project from CATL, procuring power lithium battery products. Furthermore, BMW Brilliance will make long-term purchases of designated models of power lithium batteries from CATL, and will pay CATL an initial prepayment of RMB 2.8525 billion for this purpose. CATL, along with its controlling shareholder Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Area Ruiting Investment Co., Ltd., and CATL's actual controllers Zeng Yuqun and Li Ping, signed the "Strategic Cooperation Agreement" with BMW Brilliance on July 17, 2018.
Thanks to its superior performance, the lithium-ion battery industry has developed rapidly.
Compared with other types of batteries, lithium-ion battery packs have advantages such as large capacity, high energy density, long cycle life, and no memory effect. They have made great strides in the field of small and medium power batteries for high-end consumer electronics and communication products, and have now become the preferred battery for consumer electronics products worldwide.
As the "heart" of new energy vehicles, power lithium batteries account for 40% to 60% of the total production cost of new energy passenger vehicles, and their technological advancements play a crucial role in the development of the entire electric vehicle industry.
The rapid development of China's new energy vehicle industry has created a huge market demand for lithium-ion battery packs. The lithium-ion battery industry is becoming a new hot spot. As a result, lithium-ion battery manufacturers must go all out to accelerate the pace of capacity expansion, improve battery quality, and meet the requirements of the development of new energy vehicles. In the future, power lithium batteries will usher in a good period of development.
