Electric vehicles have a “thousand-mile range”?

Recently, the relevant person in charge of CATL told a reporter from China Electronics News that its Kirin battery with a longest range of 1,000 kilometers has been successfully rolled off the assembly line. Jikrypton Motors revealed to reporters that the first Kirin battery model Jikrypton 009ME version and the first mass-produced model Jikrypton 001WE version thousand-mile endurance package are expected to be delivered in the second quarter of this year.

So far, many car companies and battery manufacturers have labeled their products with "thousand-mile range". Experts said that China's lithium-ion power battery technology has ushered in a new stage of development.

Thousands of miles of battery life do not rely on "stacked batteries"

What is the concept of a pure electric car that can run 1,000 kilometers?

A relevant person in charge of CATL told a reporter from China Electronics News that a fuel vehicle can travel 400 to 600 kilometers on a tank of fuel, and new energy vehicles can achieve a range of 1,000 kilometers, which means that the endurance of electric vehicles has exceeded the average endurance level of current fuel vehicles. At present, the range of pure electric vehicles on the market is mainly between 300 kilometers and 700 kilometers.

At the beginning of 2022, GAC Aion's AION LX Plus will be officially launched, with the top model having a cruising range of 1,008 kilometers. In July of the same year, Volvo Cars announced that the new generation battery they developed in cooperation with Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt has a range of 1,006 kilometers. NIO released a 150-degree solid-state battery pack with a maximum cruising range of over 1,000 kilometers. Guoxuan Hi-Tech said its semi-solid-state batteries with a cruising range of more than 1,000 kilometers are expected to be delivered in batches in 2023.

According to the relevant person in charge of CATL, the final endurance performance of electric vehicles is related to factors such as battery energy density, load capacity, and vehicle energy consumption. The load capacity and vehicle energy consumption are mainly affected by the vehicle design. "The third-generation CTP Kirin battery does not rely on 'stack batteries', but improves system integration efficiency and energy density through material innovation and structural innovation, thereby achieving a 1,000-kilometer battery life," the person in charge said. (Continued from version 1) It is reported that the volume utilization rate of Kirin battery has exceeded 72%, the integration level has set a new global record, the energy density of the ternary battery can reach 255Wh/kg, and the energy density of the lithium iron phosphate battery system can reach 160Wh/ kg. The Jikrypton 001WE version of the thousand-mile endurance package will be equipped with a 140kWh Kirin battery, and the energy density of the battery pack reaches 200Wh/kg.

Song Shuang, a senior analyst at CCID Consulting Intelligent Equipment Industry Research Center, said that the cathode of power batteries that currently achieve thousands of miles of endurance uses high-nickel ternary 811NCM, with a nickel content of 80%, and the anode uses silicon-based materials. Compared with the current mainstream graphite anode, it can To store more lithium ions, the combination of high-nickel ternary positive electrode and silicon-based negative electrode can increase the energy density of a single cell. In addition, CTC/CTP module integration can improve the space utilization of new energy vehicle chassis, allowing more cells to be installed in the same space to increase the energy density of the battery pack.

NIO's 150kWh solid-state battery starts with electrolyte materials, replacing common electrolytes and separators with solid electrolytes, reducing the volume and weight of the battery, thereby increasing energy density. At the same time, the 150kWh solid-state battery uses ultra-high nickel cathode material and silicon-carbon composite anode material to increase the battery energy density to 360Wh/kg, achieving a thousand-mile endurance.

It still takes time to popularize thousands of miles of battery life

However, do electric vehicles really need to have a range of thousands of miles? This is a controversial issue.

Volkswagen China CEO Feng Sihan once said that Volkswagen currently has no plans to launch 1,000km electric vehicles. If electric vehicles continue to pursue high cruising range, it will be a vicious cycle. Tesla CEO Musk also said on social platforms that it is meaningless for electric vehicles to have a high cruising range.

Faced with “thousand-mile range” models, consumers don’t seem to show much enthusiasm for purchasing. Recently, when the reporter visited Jikrypton’s Beijing direct-operated store, he found that although there were many consumers inquiring about the Jikrypton 001WE version of the thousand-mile battery life package, the actual transaction volume of this model was not high. "Most people just ask briefly, and very few people have in-depth understanding." Jikrypton Auto sales staff told reporters. It is understood that the Jikrypton 001WE version of the thousand-mile endurance package was launched at the beginning of this year. It is limited to 1,000 units and is still on sale while stocks last.

In the eyes of many consumers, high prices are one of the main factors that “dissuade” models with thousands of miles of range. "Except for the difference in cruising range of less than 300 kilometers between the Jikrypton 001WE thousand-mile endurance package and the standard version, other configurations are basically the same, but the price difference is more than 100,000 yuan, which doesn't feel like a good deal." Consumer Ms. Xu said.

Like Jikrypton 001WE, only the top model of GAC Aion LX Plus has a 1,000km range, and its price is as high as 469,600 yuan, which is nearly 200,000 yuan higher than the low-end 600km range version.

"To achieve a thousand-mile range, the battery capacity must reach 100~120 degrees. Compared with the normal capacity, the cost will be 60,000 to 70,000 yuan higher. With such a big gap, the car will be difficult to sell." National Passenger Cars Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the Joint Market Information Association, said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News that in addition, for consumers, most pure electric vehicles are still mainly used for urban commuting, with fewer long-distance driving, and a range of 500 to 600 kilometers. enough. Therefore, the current 1,000-kilometer battery life is not a must-have for every consumer, but a choice for a few. "High-endurance batteries are mainly used in large-displacement flagship models of traditional cars, reflecting technology and price positioning. However, there are very few high-end flagships that are mainly sold. They are more differentiated models launched by a brand facing different market positioning." Cui Dongshu explain.

But Cui Dongshu also pointed out that it is necessary for electric vehicles to have a long range of thousands of miles. "For some special areas and special groups of people, ultra-high battery life is necessary. For example, the demand for 1,000 kilometers is more obvious in the north, so that you can run more than 400 to 500 kilometers in winter, and there is enough warm air and other comfortable space to feel. This is conducive to the popularity of electric vehicles. In addition, the thousand-mile range can meet the needs of long-distance travel and reduce the dependence of electric vehicles on charging piles, which will help expand the number of users traveling between cities." .

In addition, for car companies, the launch of 1,000-kilometer battery life models is also a demonstration of their technical strength. Zhao Zhenyue, executive deputy general manager of CCID Consulting's New Materials Industry Research Center, said that the thousand-mile range is a turning point in lithium battery technology. This has established my country's international leading position in lithium battery production technology and will attract more cooperation from world-renowned car companies. to a positive effect.

According to Wu Mengtao, general manager of Bamo Technology, the initial price of long-lasting batteries may be too expensive, but as technology continues to advance, the price will also drop. "This will take some time, but I think that ultra-long battery life is an important direction for the development of electric vehicles. In the future, thousands of miles of battery life will become more common." Wu Mengtao said.

Multiple technical routes to solve “mileage anxiety”

Behind the competition between car companies and battery manufacturers for the thousand-mile battery life label is the widespread "range anxiety" among consumers. Industry experts generally believe that the long battery life of electric vehicles is not the only way to alleviate "range anxiety". Fast charging technology and efficient and convenient charging facilities are also the key to solving the problem.

Cui Dongshu pointed out that "mileage anxiety" can actually be attributed to two aspects. On the one hand, there is battery life anxiety, and on the other hand, there is energy replenishment anxiety. "Problems such as slow charging, inability to find charging piles, and charging queues will cause travel inconvenience and cause anxiety." Cui Dongshu explained that, therefore, super fast charging technology is also one of the key research and development directions for new energy vehicles.

"From the perspective of technological development such as mobile phone batteries, fast charging has improved particularly rapidly. Fast charging products have less battery loading and are highly practical. They should be the choice for mainstream models with standard battery life." Cui Dongshu said. At the same time, we are accelerating the construction of "fast charging" charging piles, which can charge more than 50% of the battery in 15 to 20 minutes, improving charging efficiency and user experience.