This column of "Dianwen" is mainly to talk to you about news that is not very timely, neither high nor low in importance, or the content is not enough to form an independent article, but it is interesting.
★ Honeycomb releases “cobalt-free battery”. How to remove cobalt?
The concept of "cobalt-free batteries" is very popular, and Honeycomb Energy, a subsidiary of Great Wall, has also launched its "cobalt-free battery" products.
A module based on the 590 standard can be easily applied to most current pure electric platforms, with a capacity of 115Ah and an energy density of 245wh/kg (module energy density, not battery pack energy density). It is expected to be launched on the market in June next year.
The other one uses lamination technology similar to BYD's blade battery, eliminating the need for module cells to be packaged directly into L6 thin cobalt-free long cells, with a capacity of 226Ah and an energy density of 240Wh/kg. Adapted and developed with a high-end model of Great Wall, the 135kWh capacity can achieve a range of 880km. It is expected to be launched on the market in the second half of next year.
Cobalt is mainly used in the cathode material of lithium batteries. The reason why batteries require "cobalt" is mainly because cobalt is an element that has low reserves and is expensive. Reducing the cobalt content can significantly reduce the cost of lithium batteries. Therefore, reducing the cobalt content is the main reason for the development of lithium battery cathode materials in recent years. As long as it does not contain cobalt, it can be called a cobalt-free battery.
Therefore, lithium iron phosphate can also be a cobalt-free battery; in addition, the cobalt in the nickel-cobalt-manganese ternary lithium battery can be removed, or replaced with other elements, and it can also be a cobalt-free battery.
These are two routes. The former is a route change. Lithium batteries originally have three basic structures: lithium cobalt oxide with a layered structure, lithium manganate with a spinel structure, and lithium iron phosphate with an olivine structure. development route.
The latter is to improve on the basis of ternary lithium, find a substitute element for cobalt or use technological means to make up for the structural instability caused by the lack of cobalt element.
When it was revealed earlier that Tesla was going to equip CATL’s cobalt-free batteries, it was mainly speculated in the direction of lithium iron phosphate, because it is more difficult to improve ternary lithium.
As for how the "cobalt-free battery" released by Honeycomb achieves cobalt removal, since the press conference did not announce many technical details, there are different opinions on which path it will take.
Some people think that Honeycomb takes the lithium manganate route, improving the spinel structure lithium manganate (LiMn2O4) and replacing part of the manganese element with nickel to form spinel lithium nickel manganate. (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4), improve the energy density of lithium manganate.
But I support Honeycomb’s approach of improving ternary materials for three reasons:
First, Honeycomb calls this new battery NMx, compared to ternary materials like NCM. In terms of abbreviation, it is easy to think of the "x" element replacing cobalt (Co).
2. The press conference mentioned that Honeycomb has significantly improved the mixing of nickel and lithium ions in cobalt-free layered materials through three key technologies: cation doping technology, single crystal technology, and nano-network coating. problems and cycle life issues.
Only when the ternary lithium battery has a layered structure based on lithium cobalt oxide, the mixed arrangement of nickel and lithium will occur, resulting in a reduction in cycle life, while lithium manganate and spinel lithium nickel manganate will Spinel structure.
3. The patent "Cathode Materials for Lithium Batteries and Preparation Methods and Applications" applied by Honeycomb mentioned that the chemical formula of lithium metal composite oxide is shown in the red box, and the total amount is 1. This feature Consistent with layered lithium nickel manganate (LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2) rather than spinel lithium nickel manganate (LiMn2O4).
No matter which route Honeycomb adopts, some characteristics are certain, that is, the energy density of the new NMx cobalt-free battery is between high-nickel ternary lithium and lithium iron phosphate, cost, safety , the discharge performance is also between the two, perhaps it will become a compromise with better overall performance.
★Why did Ideal change the slogan of Ideal ONE?
Well, I was slapped in the face. When I wrote the lecture Q&A, I kept distinguishing the Ideal ONE as an "extended-range electric vehicle" from an extended-range hybrid vehicle. As a result, the Ideal official changed its promotional caliber. The Ideal ONE is then classified as an "extended-range electric vehicle", but it is mixed with a "plug-in hybrid vehicle".
Undoubtedly, plug-in hybrid vehicles have higher awareness, and extended-range electric vehicles are very rare. In addition, in the early years, the Chevrolet Volt and the BMW i3 extended-range version were discontinued and delisted. This casts a shadow over the development prospects of extended-range electric vehicles.
From a marketing perspective, since Ideal ONE has not been able to break the shackles of the name "extended-range electric vehicle" and turn disadvantages into advantageous features, it is a step to stop losses by returning to the road in time.
But it is still a pity that Ideal ONE failed to stick to its ideals after all.
The decisive difference from the ordinary plug-in hybrid is that the plug-in hybrid is half electric car and half fuel car. Its power output component still has a strong color of fuel car. After the battery is dead, , the engine directly drives the wheels. The engine of Ideal ONE does not participate in driving at all. Regardless of whether the battery is sufficient or the engine is started, the wheels are driven by electric motors. The driving experience is completely that of an electric vehicle, with smoother and more comfortable power.
Different from traditional non-plug-in extended-range hybrids, the Ideal ONE has a large battery that is so large that it does not require refueling for use in cities.
The Ideal ONE is actually an electric car, and the engine is just an insurance policy. Do users really care about fuel consumption in long-distance situations? Not to mention that the ideal ONE's high-speed fuel consumption is not high considering its size and power. That little fuel money has already been saved during daily pure electric commuting.
In contrast, a worry-free journey is the real pain point for users.
Li Xiang is a person with ideas, including SEVs that were hindered by policies earlier, including this unique extended-range large and medium-sized SUV, which are all products of careful study of the pain points of electric products. Therefore, Ideal ONE no longer insists that it is an "extended range electric vehicle", which is a helpless transformation and a failure in product promotion.
★Tesla APP is down
On the evening of May 13, Tesla APP experienced a large-scale outage. Due to the launch of Tesla’s mobile phone APP, you can use it as a car key function, the APP is down, causing the vehicle to be unable to be unlocked, and the in-car instruments to be unable to be activated.
Tesla has not announced the cause of the failure, but this failure is believed to be caused by the expiration of the Tesla APP domain name certificate. Its temporary emergency handling measures can also be proved. If you need to connect to the network, you can connect your mobile phone to The system time is set to May 11. At the same time, if a network connection is not required, the Bluetooth key function will not be affected, and the mobile phone can still start the vehicle via Bluetooth. And if you encounter the same situation again, do not log out of the Tesla App, otherwise it will cause Bluetooth The key is invalid.
This is a problem caused by stupidity and negligence, but there is no guarantee that it will not happen. Domain name/certificate expiration is not big news in the IT industry, and there will be some troubles every once in a while. For example, the expiration of Ericsson certificates at the end of 2018 caused millions of mobile phone users in 11 countries including the United Kingdom and Japan to disconnect from the Internet.
With the construction of V2X Internet of Vehicles, the automotive industry will inevitably face various problems that have appeared in the IT industry in the past. It is not just Tesla. Tesla is just more radical. As a pioneer, Facing the unknown. At this stage, networking is just the icing on the cake, and complete mechanical redundancy is still a must.
★BYD Han pre-sale, worthy of attention
On May 19, after a long warm-up, BYD Han equipped with BYD's new lithium iron phosphate blade battery started pre-sale, and the DM version after subsidies The pre-sale price is 230,000 yuan.
The EV version is divided into two types of power: single motor and dual motor. The single motor has a NEDC range of 605km and a pre-sale price of 240,000-260,000 yuan. The top-of-the-line dual-motor version has a pre-sale price of 280,000 yuan. From now on, you can reserve offline for 10,000 yuan.
According to Han's declaration information, there is also an entry-level version equipped with a 65kWh battery and an NEDC range of 506 kilometers. This version is not included in the pre-sale list. Considering that the pre-sale models have higher configurations, the configuration is being reduced. , with reduced power consumption, the entry price of Han may reach over 200,000 yuan.
Han's core competitiveness lies in its first-ever blade battery. According to current publicity and technical data, the blade battery is safer than the mainstream ternary lithium battery, but the energy density is only marginal. To keep up, durability and low-temperature performance also need time to be verified.
Han's longest range version is 605km, which can only be considered mid-range among this batch of new cars.
There is a gap that cannot be ignored with the 650km or more of the main competitors Tesla Model 3 and Xpeng P7.
However, the high-performance version's 3.9s acceleration from 100 kilometers to 100 kilometers is undoubtedly the first among domestic brands, and it also inherits BYD's consistent characteristics of outstanding straight-line acceleration.
Compared with Model 3, Xiaopeng P7 is a direct target of Han. From a brand perspective, Xpeng's more Internet genes cannot be the main factor in user choice, and there is also concern about whether the new force can last.
Although BYD's brand does not have many bonus points, it still has certain advantages as the veteran and leader of domestic new energy. But no matter BYD or Xpeng, in the price range of more than 200,000 to nearly 300,000, the brands are constrained, and the audience gap between domestic brands and Tesla is still not small.
In terms of price, BYD Han also beats the P7. Before challenging Tesla, these two tigers will have a fight first.
★Wang Chuanfu resigned as chairman of BYD
On May 20, Wang Chuanfu resigned as chairman and legal person of BYD Automobile Co., Ltd., and was replaced by He Zhiqi. This is the 15th company where Wang Chuanfu has resigned this year A subsidiary of BYD Group.
Although he has resigned as chairman of BYD Auto, Wang Chuanfu is still the head of BYD Group, and the ownership structure has not changed. He has just moved from the front to behind the scenes. BYD officials said that this move was only to "simplify administrative procedures." , to facilitate the company’s various business operations.”
In 2019, BYD Auto's operating performance was not optimistic. The annual sales volume was 461,400 vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 11.4%. It failed to complete the annual sales plan of 650,000 vehicles. The operating income was 63.266 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 16.8%. %, it is the only department among BYD's three major business segments to see a year-on-year decline in revenue, which also drags down BYD Group's net profit to decline by 41.9% year-on-year.
The sluggish performance may be one of the reasons for Wang Chuanfu's abdication. BYD's marketing methods in 2019 were also very poor. Although it launched the e series and updated Song Pro and other products, the Dynasty series fuel and The new energy version only exists, and the price difference is more than 100,000, which affects the positioning of the Dynasty series as BYD's high-end product line. The e-series, which should be more entry-level and mass-market, instead competes with Yuan and fails to succeed.
Wang Chuanfu’s original product-first science and engineering thinking allowed BYD to develop rapidly, but it is questionable whether the same thinking can still be suitable for today.
Wang Chuanfu’s resignation as legal person and chairman of a series of BYD Group subsidiaries is an opportunity. In the past, BYD under the leadership of Wang Chuanfu was a closed loop. It acted as its own supplier and only as its own supplier.
Today, BYD is more open, establishing a number of Verdi companies, signing cooperation agreements with Toyota, and opening up internal bidding to introduce new suppliers. Han and Blade batteries are worth looking forward to.
For all products that have been included in the "Announcement", the company name is changed to "Zhaoqing Xiaopeng New Energy Investment Co., Ltd." and the registered address is changed to "Room 1507, 15th Floor, Fumin Building, No. 18 Beijiang Avenue, Zhaoqing High-tech Zone, Guangdong Province, No. 48 ", the production address was changed to "No. 33 Longhu Avenue, Zhaoqing High-tech Zone, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province" and the legal representative was changed to "Xia Heng".
This means that Xiaopeng has officially obtained the production rights through the acquisition of Guangdong Fodi Qualifications, P7 can be produced in its Zhaoqing factory with an investment of 4 billion and an annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles.
However, the relationship between Xiaopeng and Haima will continue for a while, and the agreement between the two parties will not last until 2021. Ending on December 31, the G3 will still be manufactured by Haima, while the P7 will be produced by two factories at the same time. Haima also needs to consider its own future, and the prospects for its fuel vehicle sector are bleak.
Real estate rescue. No Haima.
Weilai is now in a dilemma. Among the leading new car manufacturers, it is the only one that can only rely on OEMs, including AIWAYS and Dianping. Ka and others have obtained car-making qualifications through mixed-ownership reform, acquisitions and other means, and established their own factories.
But for new forces, the OEM model is not necessarily a drawback, and new forces that lack experience will meet. Multiple tests such as quality management system and supplier network construction.
Let’s put it this way, faced with the blind box P7, would you rather disassemble the P7 from the Zhaoqing factory or the P7 from the Haima Zhengzhou factory?
★Three national standards related to electric vehicles were released, from GB/T to GB
On May 12, GB 18384-2020 "Electric Vehicles" organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology The three mandatory national standards "Automotive Safety Requirements", GB 38032-2020 "Safety Requirements for Electric Passenger Vehicles" and GB 38031-2020 "Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles" were approved and released by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standardization Administration Committee. It will be implemented from January 1, 2021.
Among them, GB 18384-2020 and GB 38031-2020 are updates and replacements of existing standards. Compared with the old version of GB/T 18384-2015, the new version 18384 adds battery system thermal event alarm signal requirements. This requirement At the same time, it is also specified in the new version of "Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles"; it strengthens the requirements for waterproofing, insulation and insulation monitoring of the entire vehicle.
GB 38031-2020 is used to replace GB/T31458-2015 "Safety Requirements and Test Methods for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles" and GB/T31467.3-2015 "Lithium-ion Power Battery Packs and Test Methods for Electric Vehicles" System Part 3: Security Requirements and Test Methods". The new standard has made a lot of changes to the test methods of battery packs and systems, but has reduced the test content of battery cells, deleted test items such as battery cell drop, good crystal running, and low air pressure, and also includes the most eye-catching test items. , used by BYD to promote the battery cell needle puncture test that proves the safety of blade batteries.
It can be seen that the new standard places the main safety index requirements at the battery pack/system level. For users, they will not realize the difference, but for battery manufacturers, there are more operations. space.
At the same time, the new standard adds safety requirements for thermal diffusion of battery packs or systems, and proposes a 5-minute warning signal that has been reported by many media: If thermal diffusion occurs in the vehicle battery system, passengers must be informed Allow 5 minutes for escape.
This new regulation cannot guarantee that the battery pack will not catch fire or explode, but it can prevent spontaneous combustion to a certain extent and predict the danger.
However, hidden dangers still exist. For example, after a traffic accident, if the occupants lose the ability to escape independently, even a 5-minute warning will not help. Of course, this is the same for fuel vehicles, and secondary harm caused by accidents is still difficult to avoid.
GB 38032-2020 is a newly compiled standard. Based on the safety requirements for electric vehicles stipulated in GB 18384, it targets the characteristics of electric buses carrying a large number of passengers, large battery capacity, and frequent charging and discharging. , which has put forward higher requirements for vehicle structure, charging system, waterproofing, flame retardant, control, etc.
In addition, for key high-voltage components such as battery packs and controllers, additional side impact and rollover tests were conducted on weak locations of the vehicle (such as where the battery is installed).
Compared with the previous national standards related to electric vehicles, the biggest change in the new standards is from GB/T to GB, which has absolute mandatory power.
The author of this article is Route 64 of Kichebang
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.