New energy vehicle "battery anxiety" is expected to ease

　　Our reporter Zhao Yuhan

　　Battery life is short, technology iteration is fast, battery replacement cost is high... At present, all kinds of concerns around consumers about the power battery of new energy vehicles have become the "blockers" restricting the large-scale popularization of pure electric vehicles.

　　New energy car owners are in a dilemma when the battery expires

　　In the past two years, the service life of the power batteries of the first batch of new energy vehicles is approaching, leaving many car owners in a dilemma.

"Replace a battery. It costs 40,000 to 50,000. It will almost match the value of my car; if you change the car directly, almost no one wants to buy the second-hand car, let alone the price." Mr. Wang sighed. .

　　The situation Mr. Wang encountered is not unique.

The reporter learned that due to the limitations of early technology, the service life of the first batch of new energy vehicle power batteries is about 5 to 8 years, and the warranty period is relatively short, about 3 to 5 years.

After the warranty period, the owner can only replace the battery at his own expense, and the battery price of 50,000 to 60,000 yuan makes the owner feel that it is better to change to a new car.

　　If you change the car, you must first sell the old car.

However, in the face of second-hand new energy vehicles whose batteries are on the verge of being eliminated, the market reacted coldly.

A second-hand car dealer in Huaxiang told reporters that, except for a few more high-end models such as Tesla and BMW i3, new energy vehicles are generally not considered for car collection.

"Especially for a car whose battery is about to expire, it is a cost to replace the battery. I basically don't consider charging it, and few buyers want to buy it."

　　Even if the battery is not on the verge of "retirement", many car owners have already become anxious in advance.

"My car has been driving for almost 6 years. It originally had a range of 300 kilometers, but now it only shows 260 kilometers when it is fully charged. It actually runs 200 kilometers." Recently, the owner, Ms. Cao, went to maintain the vehicle in the Tenshi Marketing store and asked about it. Vehicle battery replacement program.

"The salesperson told me that there is currently no plan to replace the battery, and I am not sure how much the battery will cost after 10 years of use."

　　Many car companies push battery replacement solutions

　　In recent years, around the "battery anxiety" that plagues car owners, many new energy vehicles are exploring different solutions.

　　Tesla aimed at battery recycling.

On September 7, Tesla released a battery recycling plan on its official website, stating that Tesla's service centers around the world can handle batteries that no longer meet user needs.

Tesla owners who participate in battery recycling can replace their batteries with new ones and return the vehicles to their new state.

　　Tesla stated in the recycling plan that these discarded batteries have not been landfilled and can be 100% recycled.

At present, Tesla has confirmed that it is building a battery recycling system in a Gigafactory in Nevada.

　　With recycling technology to use the residual value of the battery, car owners are most concerned about whether it can reduce the price of replacing new batteries.

In this regard, Tesla CEO Musk once stated on social media that the current life of Tesla’s power battery is 300,000 to 500,000 kilometers, and the price is between 3,000 and 7,000 US dollars, which is approximately 20,500 to 47,800 yuan. .

If this price comes true, I believe it can be accepted by more car owners.

　　NIO, a new domestic car maker, is exploring another solution through the battery swap mode.

On August 20, NIO announced the launch of BaaS (Battery as a Service), a battery rental service.

This service is based on that all models of Weilai currently support charging and battery swapping modes.

In other words, consumers can purchase only Weilai cars through the "separation of car and electricity" method, while the battery is rented and paid for rental and service fees on a regular basis.

"If it is to rent a battery, car owners can enjoy continuously updated battery technology, without worrying about the depreciation of the vehicle due to battery iteration." Weilai CEO Li Bin believes that "separation of car and electricity" also reduces the cost and threshold for car owners to buy a car at one time.

　　In addition, with the development of battery technology, in recent years, BAIC New Energy, BYD and other car companies have also continued to extend the battery warranty time and the number of kilometers. This year, BAIC New Energy also launched a battery lifetime warranty program.

　　Recycling mechanism for retired batteries needs to be improved

　　The continuous optimization of the battery replacement solutions launched by various car companies is based on the continuous progress of new energy battery technology.

Academician Ouyang Minggao, Professor of Tsinghua University and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee, said: "In recent years, the progress of new energy vehicles has firstly achieved the advancement of battery technology. Battery technology has increased three times compared with the past, and the cost has dropped by more than 80%. A technological revolution."

　　However, with the arrival of the first batch of new energy vehicle power batteries "scrap tide", the establishment of a large-scale and scientific recycling management mechanism is also urgent.

According to the calculation of the China Automobile Center, my country will usher in the first large-scale retirement stage of new energy power batteries in 2020, and the total will exceed 200,000 tons.

If effective management is not implemented, serious environmental pollution and waste of resources will be caused.

　　At present, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has launched a comprehensive management platform for the national monitoring of new energy vehicles and the traceability of power battery recycling, which will focus on how the power battery is retired, how to move towards echelon utilization, disintegration, and recycling.

But whether the battery can be recovered is a major challenge at present.

"The main reason is the lack of incentive mechanism. If the proceeds from battery recycling can be partly passed on to consumers and provide preferential treatment for battery replacement, I believe it can encourage more consumers to participate in battery recycling." An industry insider analyzed.