In recent years, the rapid flourishing of the new energy vehicle market has driven technological iterations within the battery industry. With the widespread adoption of 400V to 800V high-voltage platforms, batteries, as one of the core components of new energy vehicles' "three-electric" system, are constantly pushing forward the electrification frontier while also reshaping the upstream supply chain landscape.
The latest data reveals that BYD currently holds a market share of 17.8% in the field of power batteries, ranking second, followed by CATL, Guoxuan High-Tech, EVE Energy, Farasis, and XWPower, among others. It's evident that due to the rapid rise of domestically produced new energy vehicles, domestic power battery suppliers have successfully secured dominance in the market. In contrast, former overseas giants such as LG Energy Solution and Panasonic Battery are barely present, with minimal market share, if any.
Debut of the Second Generation Blade Battery
Recently, during a financial results briefing, BYD's Chairman Wang Chuanfu disclosed for the first time that BYD is currently developing the second generation blade battery system, which is set to be unveiled as early as August 2024. The blade battery has been synonymous with BYD's new energy vehicles for some time, and as of today, it is practically installed in all BYD models, undergoing rigorous testing of its performance and quality.
The name "blade battery" is quite self-explanatory. While fundamentally still a lithium iron phosphate battery, its cell design closely resembles that of a blade, hence the name "blade battery".
Blade batteries, through their module-less design that integrates the cell directly into the battery pack, have significantly increased the volumetric efficiency of batteries. This advancement has effectively reduced the weight and thickness of batteries, resulting in a product that's lighter, thinner, with longer battery life, and offers more space for the passenger cabin. Additionally, these batteries excel in safety and thermal management performance.
Leaks suggest that the second generation blade battery could achieve an energy density of 190Wh/kg, a substantial leap from the previous 140Wh/kg, and even surpassing BYD's latest blade batteries at 150Wh/kg. This marks a genuine generational upgrade for the second-generation blade batteries.
To put it simply, higher energy density means more electrical energy stored per unit of weight, leading to a longer electric range for the vehicle.
Wang Chuanfu states that, with the same battery life, the second-generation blade battery pack will be smaller and lighter, and will consume less power per hundred kilometers. This implies that the second-generation blade batteries are not only improved in energy density but have also been optimized in terms of volume, weight, and energy consumption, further enhancing the electric vehicle's range and performance.
Ultimately, BYD's second-generation blade batteries are expected to push the electric vehicle's range to surpass 1000km, setting a new performance benchmark for lithium iron phosphate batteries.
The first-generation blade battery initiated a new energy revolution for BYD, and the impact of the second-generation is proving to be just as significant, if not more groundbreaking.
Firstly, with similar battery life, the second-generation blade batteries' smaller size and lighter weight mean lower costs for the battery pack. This not only provides more spacious cabin space, addressing a long-standing issue with pure electric sedans, but also allows BYD to further reduce costs, making it a crucial strategy in the "price war."
In recent years, BYD has aggressively promoted the parity between oil and electricity prices and waged a price war, pushing traditional fuel vehicles into a continuous retreat.
Secondly, the higher energy density means that the second-generation blade batteries can deliver significantly longer range capabilities, breaking through the 1,000-kilometer mark and greatly alleviating the range anxiety that concerns some consumers. This represents a major breakthrough in both range and recharging solutions for electric vehicles.
In fact, beyond the second-generation blade battery, BYD is set to release its fifth-generation DM-i plug-in hybrid system this year, boasting a fuel consumption of just 2.9L per 100 kilometers. When fully charged and fueled, it can cover a distance close to 2,000 kilometers, maxing out both range and fuel efficiency.
So, let's look forward to BYD's next big move.
