The development status and characteristics of the international vehicle power battery industry

As the energy supply device of electric vehicles, the power battery system involves many disciplines and industrial fields such as materials, chemistry, mechanics, thermodynamics, mechanics, electricity, systems and control. Its key technologies include battery cell technology, battery assembly technology, thermal management technology, energy management technology and safety management technology. At present, key indicators such as energy density, cycle life, safety and cost of power batteries have become important factors restricting the large-scale industrialization of electric vehicles. In recent years, international governments, ndustry management department and enterprises have seized the rapid development opportunities of the electric vehicle industry and continuously increased their investment in R&D and innovation. The scale of the industry has been significantly expanded, the level of industrial technology industrialization has gradually improved, and breakthroughs have been made in various aspects of the industry.

At present, lithium-ion battery products are the mainstream of power batteries for electric vehicles. One of the reasons is that lithium-ion batteries are currently the electrochemical system with the highest specific energy among practical power batteries, with longer cycle life and service life, and continuous improvement in safety. The second reason is that lithium-ion batteries are already in the stage of large-scale automated production, and their costs continue to fall. At present, three concentrated areas for power battery R&D and industrialization have been formed worldwide, which are located in East Asia where Germany, the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea are located. For a long time, China, Japan, and South Korea have been absolutely dominant in technology and market in the field of small lithium-ion batteries for consumer electronics. The production of lithium-ion power batteries is currently mainly concentrated in these three countries. From the perspective of technology and industry, Japan is still leading in technology; South Korea surpasses Japan in terms of market share, occupying the largest share; and China has the largest number of battery companies with the largest production capacity. Figure 1 shows the global power lithium-ion battery market share in 2016.

As the energy supply device of electric vehicles, the power battery system involves many disciplines and industrial fields such as materials, chemistry, mechanics, thermodynamics, mechanics, electricity, systems and control. Its key technologies include battery cell technology, battery assembly technology, thermal management technology, energy management technology and safety management technology. At present, key indicators such as energy density, cycle life, safety and cost of power batteries have become important factors restricting the large-scale industrialization of electric vehicles. In recent years, international governments, ndustry management department and enterprises have seized the rapid development opportunities of the electric vehicle industry and continuously increased their investment in R&D and innovation. The scale of the industry has been significantly expanded, the level of industrial technology industrialization has gradually improved, and breakthroughs have been made in various aspects of the industry.

At present, lithium-ion battery products are the mainstream of power batteries for electric vehicles. One of the reasons is that lithium-ion batteries are currently the electrochemical system with the highest specific energy among practical power batteries, with longer cycle life and service life, and continuous improvement in safety. The second reason is that lithium-ion batteries are already in the stage of large-scale automated production, and their costs continue to fall. At present, three concentrated areas for power battery R&D and industrialization have been formed worldwide, which are located in East Asia where Germany, the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea are located. For a long time, China, Japan, and South Korea have been absolutely dominant in technology and market in the field of small lithium-ion batteries for consumer electronics. The production of lithium-ion power batteries is currently mainly concentrated in these three countries. From the perspective of technology and industry, Japan is still leading in technology; South Korea surpasses Japan in terms of market share, occupying the largest share; and China has the largest number of battery companies with the largest production capacity. Figure 1 shows the global power lithium-ion battery market share in 2016.

The international automotive power battery industry mainly presents the following characteristics:

1. The transition from nickel-hydrogen batteries to lithium-ion batteries for ordinary hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) drives the development of the high-power power lithium-ion battery industry, and power lithium-ion batteries have become the main choice. Vehicle manufacturers and battery cell manufacturing companies jointly develop, and battery cell manufacturing companies/material companies integrate industry chains to provide battery systems. Vehicle companies themselves integrate the industry chain to become the main development model.

2. The European micro-hybrid vehicle market has formed and is growing rapidly, driving the development of lead-acid battery technology and large-scale production and application. Technologies such as supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries using lithium titanate anode materials have entered the stage of development and demonstration applications.

3. Pure electric vehicles such as Tesla have become the focus of industry development, accelerating the application and industrialization of lithium-ion battery technology. Battery companies in various countries actively promote the technological innovation of lithium-ion battery materials, systems, structures, modules and battery packs (including management systems) design.

4. The development of new energy vehicles on an international scale has driven the rapid increase of investment and production capacity in the power battery industry. The overall industry has a risk of overcapacity, and the vertical integration of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry has a clear development trend.

Focusing on good expectations for the future development of the electric vehicle industry, power battery companies around the world have invested in expanding production. The total investment in the global lithium-ion industry from 2011 to 2014 was between US$10 billion and US$12 billion. In 2015, the production capacity exceeded 50GW·h. Tesla, BYD and New Energy invested nearly US$7 billion in 2014-2017. At the same time, with the expansion of power battery production capacity, the price of power batteries will show a rapid decline. The price of single batteries will tend to 0.8 yuan/W·h, and the price of battery systems will tend to 1.2 yuan/W·h. Figure 2 shows the changing trend of power battery system prices.

The international automotive power battery industry mainly presents the following characteristics:

1. The transition from nickel-hydrogen batteries to lithium-ion batteries for ordinary hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) drives the development of the high-power power lithium-ion battery industry, and power lithium-ion batteries have become the main choice. Vehicle manufacturers and battery cell manufacturing companies jointly develop, and battery cell manufacturing companies/material companies integrate industry chains to provide battery systems. Vehicle companies themselves integrate the industry chain to become the main development model.

2. The European micro-hybrid vehicle market has formed and is growing rapidly, driving the development of lead-acid battery technology and large-scale production and application. Technologies such as supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries using lithium titanate anode materials have entered the stage of development and demonstration applications.

3. Pure electric vehicles such as Tesla have become the focus of industry development, accelerating the application and industrialization of lithium-ion battery technology. Battery companies in various countries actively promote the technological innovation of lithium-ion battery materials, systems, structures, modules and battery packs (including management systems) design.

4. The development of new energy vehicles on an international scale has driven the rapid increase of investment and production capacity in the power battery industry. The overall industry has a risk of overcapacity, and the vertical integration of upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry has a clear development trend.

Focusing on good expectations for the future development of the electric vehicle industry, power battery companies around the world have invested in expanding production. The total investment in the global lithium-ion industry from 2011 to 2014 was between US$10 billion and US$12 billion. In 2015, the production capacity exceeded 50GW·h. Tesla, BYD and New Energy invested nearly US$7 billion in 2014-2017. At the same time, with the expansion of power battery production capacity, the price of power batteries will show a rapid decline. The price of single batteries will tend to 0.8 yuan/W·h, and the price of battery systems will tend to 1.2 yuan/W·h. Figure 2 shows the changing trend of power battery system prices.