Zhongxin Finance, February 23 (Ge Cheng) The launch of a new car has to go through research, analysis, project approval, design, testing, production, assembly and other links. These processes often take several years.

Today, it takes only three months for a car company to launch a new car from its establishment.

Is the car launched at this speed reliable?

　　On February 23, the Maple Leaf 60S, the first new energy sedan under Ruilan Auto, which was officially established in January 2022, was launched. This model uses battery swap as its selling point. million.

Ruilan car with its back against a big tree to enjoy the shade?

　　Ruilan Automobile Co., Ltd. was established by Geely Holding and Lifan Technology with an investment of 300 million yuan each, with a registered capital of 600 million yuan. Both parties hold 50% of the shares.

　　Behind the birth of Ruilan Automobile, since 2014, Lifan Automobile has started to lose money and gradually fell into trouble.

Until 2020, the controlling shareholder, Chongqing Lifan Holding Co., Ltd., applied for judicial reorganization on the grounds that it could not repay the debts due and the assets were insufficient to repay all the debts.

　　After the release of the bankruptcy and reorganization information of Lifan Motors, the qualification of car manufacturing has become a "sweet pastry", and many companies have come for this.

Geely had the last laugh and played an important role in the reorganization of Lifan Co., Ltd., and included another piece of car-making territory.

Since the establishment of the joint venture between the two parties, new actions have continued.

　　It is understood that in the joint venture, Geely acts as a technology provider and leads the research and development of battery-changing models; while Lifan leads the production and is responsible for the layout of charging and replacement facilities and the production of specific models.

　　The Maple Leaf 60S released by Ruilan Automobile follows the design of Geely's Maple Leaf Motors in design, and also uses the LOGO of Maple Leaf Motors. Lifan only plays the role of a foundry here.

Can the "battery swap" business model continue to be profitable?

　　As for its first new energy sedan, Ruilan Auto said that the Maple Leaf 60S will focus on the B-end operating market and launch two sales models: "complete vehicle sales" and "body sales".

At the same time, with the help of Yiyi's efficient, safe and intelligent power exchange station, the charging of new energy vehicles will be as fast as refueling.

　　In fact, the battery swap mode is not new for new energy vehicles. The high cost and difficult operation are the bottleneck of the current development of this business.

　　The commercial model of battery swapping for new energy vehicles has been put into use in cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, and has gained a good reputation.

Some taxi drivers said that when the vehicle is out of power, just go to the power station to replace the battery, and it feels no different from refueling.

Fast speed, low price and very convenient.

　　At the same time, the centralized charging and replacing method can also give full play to the potential of the power grid, effectively participate in peak shaving and valley filling, ensure the balance of power and electricity, and improve the overall operating efficiency of the power system.

In the opinion of Xin Baoan, Chairman of State Grid Corporation of China, electric vehicles are like a huge "electricity sponge", whose behaviors can be guided, their laws are predictable, and they have strong load regulation characteristics. Goals are very important.

　　Although the advantages are obvious, the business model of the battery swap model is still being explored.

　　At present, NIO, BAIC, CATL and other car companies and power battery companies have launched corresponding battery replacement products and solutions, but in the process of application, there are generally problems of insufficient scale and difficulty in making profits.

It is even more difficult for a single brand to make profits through the business model of battery swapping.

Li Songzhe, a researcher at the Research and Consulting Department of the China Electric Vehicle Association of 100, said frankly: "Unless there are a large number of power batteries available for rent and sale, it is difficult for third-party companies to achieve profitability."

　　It can be seen that, despite all the benefits, the business model of battery swapping is a big challenge for a single car company to continue to make profits.

After Geely took over Lifan, the strategy of directly focusing on the B-end operation market will have a profound impact on the development of the enterprise.

　　In the operating market, new energy vehicles also have to compete with traditional fuel vehicles and hybrid models on the same stage, and the battery swap mode will take time to test.

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