New energy vehicles are gaining increasing popularity due to their zero energy consumption and environmental friendliness, and have become an important direction for global automotive development. As the power heart of new energy vehicles, batteries are receiving increasing attention. Currently, power lithium-ion batteries still face challenges such as high cost, inconsistent specifications, and room for improvement in safety. Automakers are doing everything they can to continuously experiment and research to improve the practical performance of power lithium-ion batteries.
Volkswagen recently revealed that all its future electrified vehicles may switch to a single lithium-ion battery cell design, with the group aiming to reduce battery costs by 66% by simplifying the battery cell design. Currently, Volkswagen uses a variety of lithium-ion battery cells. For example, Panasonic supplies batteries for the e-Golf, Golf GTE plug-in hybrid, and Audi A3 electric vehicle, while Samsung supplies batteries for the Passat GTE, Audi, and other electric vehicles.
Huang Xuejie, a researcher at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told reporters that a single battery cell specification can reduce battery design costs, thereby lowering the overall cost of new energy vehicles. Currently, the specifications of power lithium-ion batteries for new energy vehicles are not yet standardized globally, but the trend towards standardization is already quite evident, and the number of battery specifications has been greatly reduced. In my country, there used to be more than 80 models of power lithium-ion batteries, but now the battery specifications available on the market have been reduced to less than 20. "It can be said that the standardization of power lithium-ion battery specifications is an inevitable trend," Huang Xuejie said.
Automakers are optimistic about standardized batteries.
It's not just Volkswagen that's starting to prioritize the specifications of power lithium-ion batteries; many domestic automakers are also gradually reducing the scale of batteries used in their vehicles to achieve maximum versatility, thereby achieving economies of scale and reducing battery costs. Dr. Yin Lichao, an energy system engineer at Yutong Bus's New Energy Technology Department, explained that Yutong is now reducing costs and achieving maximum scale application by decreasing the variety of battery specifications used in its vehicles. At the same time, the versatility of the batteries also reduces the workload of battery design.
Zhang Jinhan, Deputy General Manager of JAC Motors Passenger Vehicle Marketing Company, told reporters that the JAC iEV5 uses ternary lithium 18650 batteries from Tianjin Lishen. He stated that, based on market competition, 18650 batteries currently have a slight advantage. This is because the cylindrical shape of these batteries is easier to install in passenger vehicles, and it's highly likely that JAC will continue to use this battery specification in future new energy passenger vehicles. He also indicated that while battery cells (i.e., individual battery cells) are becoming increasingly standardized, battery manufacturing processes and scale are the biggest factors in reducing overall vehicle costs.
According to Wang Kefeng, Vice General Manager of BAIC New Energy, battery cell standardization is an inevitable trend. He stated that if battery cell sizes can be standardized or "platformized," it will help reduce the cost of the entire vehicle, and the greater benefit lies in improving the standardization of batteries. "Although the battery production processes and manufacturing levels of various battery manufacturers are different, if the battery cell sizes can be standardized, the standardization of batteries will be greatly improved," Wang Kefeng said.
Wang Hui, a customer manager at CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited), told reporters that in the passenger vehicle sector, the size of power lithium-ion battery cells is becoming increasingly standardized, and after market selection, many cells are now very similar in size. In the commercial vehicle sector, the trend towards standardized cell sizes is also beginning to emerge. Wang Hui told reporters that this trend allows battery companies to focus on manufacturing processes, thereby improving battery manufacturing standards and reducing battery costs.
Standardized specifications promote full competition
Standardizing battery cell specifications will also greatly benefit battery manufacturers. Dr. Zhang Minyu of the my country Battery Industry Association told reporters that if the specifications of lithium-ion battery cells for new energy vehicles can be standardized, it will first facilitate comparisons in subsequent cell testing. Currently, cells of various sizes are often submitted to testing institutions for evaluation, and the results are often not comparable. In the future, if cell sizes can be standardized, it will be easy to distinguish the quality of cells of the same size. "This will drive battery manufacturers to pay more attention to research on production processes and materials, which will benefit the development of the entire battery industry," said Zhang Minyu.
Furthermore, Zhang Minyu stated that standardizing battery cell specifications could break the monopoly of some battery manufacturers and allow for full competition within the battery production industry. Currently, some battery manufacturers producing specialized sizes have long-term one-to-one supply relationships with vehicle OEMs, leaving them without competitors. This prevents OEMs from switching suppliers, making cost reduction impossible. Meanwhile, new battery manufacturers, due to the large investment required in manufacturing equipment, are hesitant to enter the production of specialized batteries, thus strengthening the monopoly of these early suppliers. "Standardizing battery cell sizes cannot be achieved through arbitrary, rigid regulations," Huang Xuejie told reporters. He believes that even internationally, battery cell sizes are not yet standardized, and discussions on this topic are ongoing. Europe and the US are generally more cautious, preferring smaller battery cells, while my country tends to favor larger cells. "Battery development is a dynamic process," Huang Xuejie said. "We should have thorough discussions and actively guide the market; ultimately, the choice of battery cell size should be left to the market."
Standards guide industrial development
Xiao Chengwei, chief battery expert at the 18th Research Institute of my country Electronics Technology Group Corporation, spearheaded the development of the industry standard "Specifications and Dimensions of Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles" (QC/T840-2010), which officially came into effect on March 1, 2011, more than two years earlier than the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry) battery cell standard. Xiao explained that this standard is a recommended automotive industry standard and is my country's first industry standard addressing the standardization of power batteries for electric vehicles. Its aim is to optimize the design and manufacturing of power batteries, standardize the research, development, production, and application of power batteries, reduce the research and development and production costs for power battery manufacturers and the procurement costs for vehicle manufacturers, and promote industry development. "However, judging from the current situation, not many companies are using this standard," Xiao said with slight disappointment.
However, the VDA standard has gained significant traction in my country, with numerous domestic battery manufacturers and new energy vehicle OEMs beginning to produce and use battery cells of VDA standard dimensions. In response, Xiao Chengwei stated that as the world's largest automobile producer and consumer, and especially as a country expected to achieve a leading position in the promotion of new energy vehicles this year, it is inappropriate for China to adopt foreign standards for key components. If my country loses its say in the design of standards for critical components like power lithium-ion batteries, it will create hidden dangers for future development.
Furthermore, Xiao Chengwei believes that researching and formulating battery cell size standards that conform to my country's national standards will not only benefit the development of Chinese battery manufacturers but also the entire Chinese battery industry. Standardizing and standardizing cell sizes will allow battery manufacturers to standardize their manufacturing equipment, reducing production costs. For automakers, standardized battery cells with identical sizes and capacities will enable interchangeability between batteries from different manufacturers used by a single automaker, and vice versa, significantly reducing costs in the usage phase.
Miao Wenquan, Executive Deputy Director of the Shanghai New Energy Vehicle Testing Engineering Technology Research Center, agreed with Xiao Chengwei's viewpoint. He stated that the standardization of battery cells will significantly reduce the cost of batteries during use. With standardized dimensions, battery packs can be assembled using common methods. If, in the future, lithium-ion batteries can be connected and used like lead-acid batteries, the cost of use will decrease considerably. "Battery cell standardization is a very meaningful thing," Miao Wenquan concluded.
Battery cell size should be determined by the company itself.
In the traditional automotive sector, my country, despite ranking high in production and sales, has long been "large but not strong" due to its lagging development compared to leading automotive nations. Industry insiders generally believe that one reason for this situation is the weakness of its auto parts industry. A lack of influence over auto parts standards is one contributing factor. Now, this predicament is about to repeat itself in the new energy vehicle sector.
It is understood that the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry) has submitted its self-defined battery cell dimensions to the International Organization for Standardization, applying for them to become an international standard. As the country with the world's largest promotion of new energy vehicles, my country actually acted earlier than the VDA, developing its own standards, but few have adopted them. In contrast, there is a great deal of enthusiasm for the VDA standard.
This isn't to say that the VDA standard is bad. Regarding battery size, there's no inherent good or bad, and slight changes in battery cell size have almost no impact on battery performance. So, can we confidently adopt the German standard?
The situation is not that simple. By adopting foreign standards, the entire battery industry chain will gravitate towards foreign practices in the future. Equipment manufacturing, battery assembly, battery packaging, and other aspects will all rely on foreign standards. This lack of voice regarding key component standards will leave the entire industry chain without a say, forcing it to simply follow in foreign footsteps and become a mere follower.
Conversely, this year my country is expected to become the world's largest market for promoting new energy vehicles. Why then should we adopt foreign battery cell standards? If we must adopt standards, why can't foreign countries adopt my country's standards? In fact, foreign manufacturers are very clear about the implications, but they have a tacit understanding with each other.
Germany doesn't have any battery manufacturing companies. If they can submit a battery standard, what reason does my country, as a major battery producer, have not to apply for its own? Standards lead industrial development. When it comes to new things, foreign countries are already eyeing control of standards, and my country must not lag behind. my country already has the "Specifications and Dimensions of Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles," but it's a non-mandatory standard. If companies believe the standard is debatable, they can modify it, but they cannot relinquish control over the standard-setting process.
