Battery swapping/superfast charging/hydrogen refueling, which method of increasing the range of new energy vehicles will become mainstream?

Although fuel vehicles are still the mainstream, new energy vehicles represented by electric drive have risen strongly and become an irreversible trend, and the sales of this type of vehicles are also gradually increasing. However, the lack of endurance is still the biggest obstacle to the rapid popularization of new energy vehicles.

In order to eliminate the anxiety about battery life, car manufacturers have come up with many ways, such as the battery swap model that has been frequently mentioned recently, GAC's research and development of graphene super-fast charging batteries, and even some car companies want to develop hydrogen fuel cells. So, which of the above methods to increase the range of electric vehicles is the most promising?

Battery swap model: Will the cost of using the car be very high?

Although most pure electric vehicles now have fast charging modes, charging is still much slower than refueling, which makes many pure electric car owners give up the idea of ​​long-distance travel. In order to increase the speed of energy replenishment, car manufacturers have proposed a battery replacement model, which is to directly replace the battery pack of the car, just like replacing the battery of a mobile phone in the past, and this idea has also been recognized by relevant departments.

At the beginning of September, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology encourages enterprises to develop battery-swap models according to usage scenarios, and will also mobilize local governments to formulate relevant policies and create pilot projects to promote industrial development. Of course, this is not the first time that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has publicly encouraged car companies to do so.

It is worth mentioning that the formulation of battery swapping standards has also made substantial progress this year. For example, the recommended national standard "Safety Requirements for Battery Swapping of Electric Vehicles" passed the review in August 2020. The "Requirements" were drafted by automobile companies and units such as BAIC New Energy, NIO and China Automotive Technology and Research Center to ensure the safety of vehicle battery swapping.

However, I think that the site selection of battery swap stations will be much more difficult than that of charging piles. The number of stations in the future is estimated to be unable to meet the needs of domestic users, and the construction cost is high. In addition, the construction cost of the battery swap station will definitely be included in the user's battery swap fee. At present, Weilai's free battery swap rights have cancelled the lifetime free of charge, and stipulated that after exceeding the number of battery swaps, a service fee will be charged.

Of course, under the battery replacement model, car companies such as Weilai have also proposed a measure to reduce users' car purchase costs, that is, the battery leasing model. It is reported that about 40% of the cost of pure electric vehicles comes from power batteries. However, can you accept that your car is equipped with rented batteries?

In general, the battery swap model can significantly reduce the time for energy replenishment, but the popularization of battery swap stations and the collection of fees are still huge obstacles to the development of this model.

Graphene battery: Solving the problem of slow charging from the root

The fundamental solution is to reduce the energy replenishment time of pure electric vehicles and increase the charging speed of batteries, just like most mobile phones now have super-fast charging technology, which greatly shortens the charging time. In terms of research on super-fast charging batteries, GAC Group should have made relatively fast progress.

Officials said that GAC Group has developed a graphene super-fast charging battery that can be fully charged to 80% in 8 minutes, making charging as convenient and fast as refueling. At present, the battery has completed vehicle-mounted testing, and the next step is to truly realize commercial application.

On September 7, in order to accelerate the mass production and application of super-fast charging batteries, GAC Group and its partners jointly established Guangzhou Juwan Technology Research Co., Ltd. It is reported that graphene super-fast charging batteries will be first installed on the Aion series of models.

Compared with the battery swap model, car buyers are more looking forward to the arrival of graphene super-fast charging batteries, because battery swapping requires frequent disassembly and installation of batteries, not to mention the high probability of queuing. If the graphene battery developed by GAC Group can really achieve the charging speed it claims, it will greatly promote the development of pure electric vehicles.

Hydrogen fuel cells: A shortcut to increasing driving range?

Like pure electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are also an environmentally friendly electric vehicle, and refueling with hydrogen is about as convenient as refueling with gasoline. If hydrogen refueling stations become popular quickly enough and people's ideas can keep up, then hydrogen fuel cell vehicles may become mainstream.

However, the "Energy-saving and New Energy Vehicle Technology Roadmap" formulated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology points out that by 2030, my country will have more than 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations. If this speed is really achieved, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will probably only play a supporting role, because by then, the range and charging speed of pure electric vehicles will most likely completely eliminate everyone's range anxiety.

In addition, the instability of hydrogen fuel has also made many people question the safety of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. However, the total mileage of SAIC's fuel cell vehicles in commercial operation has reached nearly 5 million kilometers, which should be able to dispel everyone's concerns. It is worth mentioning that SAIC also has 511 patents related to the fuel cell field and 20 years of relevant experience. If hydrogen fuel cell vehicles really emerge, then domestic brands are not without advantages.

Whether it is super-fast charging batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, or battery swapping modes, they can increase the range of new energy vehicles in a short period of time, allowing them to reach or approach the driving experience of gasoline vehicles. However, they all need time to popularize, but the costs are different. Car Buyer believes that super-fast charging batteries will become the mainstream in the future, and the battery swapping mode will serve as a supplement. The two together will bring users an excellent pure electric vehicle driving experience. As for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, it is estimated that they will shine in the commercial field, because they are currently expensive and technically difficult, and it will take a long time to truly popularize them.