① At the auto show, Battery manufacturers such as Contemporary Amperex Technology, Sunwoda Electronic, and Eve Energy Co.,Ltd. competed for new products; ② A storm of ultra-fast charging hit, with BYD, Huawei, and ZEEKR showcasing their megawatt fast charging products at the auto show.
According to a report from Financial Associated Press on April 26 (reporters Liu Yue and Zeng Chuchu), "The future of the battery industry will definitely concentrate towards the top as competition in the automotive industry intensifies. This integration (of Battery Business) is actually aimed at enabling Geely to win this elimination round," said Zheng Xin, Vice President and CSO of Geely Holding Group at the Shanghai auto show.
The rapid development of new energy vehicles, with the battery cost accounting for over 40% of the total cost of electric vehicles, has driven automotive companies to focus on power batteries. Geely announced the completion of its strategic integration of Battery Business at the auto show, while battery manufacturers such as Contemporary Amperex Technology (300750.SZ), Sunwoda Electronic (300207.SZ), and Eve Energy Co.,Ltd. (300014.SZ) also showcased new products at the Shanghai auto show. Meanwhile, in the face of the storm of ultra-fast and fast charging, megawatt fast charging products from BYD (002594.SZ), Huawei, and ZEEKR also made an appearance at the auto show, escalating the competition in charging technology and accelerating the transition of new energy vehicles to a "zero anxiety" era.
Competition among battery manufacturers for new products: technological iteration and ecological integration.
At this year's Shanghai auto show, Contemporary Amperex Technology showcased new products released during this week's "Super Technology Day," while Eve Energy Co.,Ltd. unveiled the "in-situ upgrade plan" for its all-purpose OMNI battery, and Sunwoda Electronic also introduced its new generation BMS product "Smart Cell 2.0," displaying all-scenario battery products.
Battery manufacturers "steal the spotlight" at the auto show; in this regard, Wang Huawen, Vice President of Power Marketing at Sunwoda Electronic, told Financial Associated Press reporters that the appearance of component manufacturers at the auto show can visually showcase technical capabilities, while automotive manufacturers also hope that we step forward. For consumers, the demand for product power and brand power is becoming increasingly strong, and the younger consumer group needs new ways to recognize brands; there is a hope to communicate the changes in technology, operation, and the market to both B-end and C-end.
Specifically, Contemporary Amperex Technology showcased the second-generation Supercharge Battery, Sodium-ion Batteries, and the Xiaoyao Dual-core Battery released this week. It is reported that the second-generation Supercharge Battery is the world’s first lithium iron phosphate battery with both 800 km ultra-long endurance and a peak of 12C; the Sodium-ion Battery has an energy density of 175 wh/kg, and it does not ignite or explode under piercing and drilling; the Xiaoyao Dual-core Battery, based on Contemporary Amperex Technology's dual-core architecture and self-produced Anode Material technology, can increase the battery's volume energy density by 60%.
(Contemporary Amperex Technology booth, photographed by Financial Associated Press reporters)
In addition, on the first day of the auto show, Contemporary Amperex Technology released the Chocolate Battery Swap new model. Yang Jun, general manager of the Battery Swap business at Contemporary Amperex Technology, introduced that the Chocolate Battery Swap models include FAW Hongqi EH7 (to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025); Chongqing Changan Automobile Qiyuan A05, A07, and Deep Blue SL03 (to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025); BAIC Group's ARCFOX premium wide-body electric family sedan (to be launched in the second quarter of 2026); Guangzhou Automobile Group AION RT, AION UT, second-generation AION V, and AION AY7 (to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025); and Chery Automobile iCAR V23 (to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025).
Staff at the Contemporary Amperex Technology exhibition stand told the reporters from Caixin that currently around 50 Chocolate Charging Stations have been built, with a plan to establish 1,000 this year. At present, users are mainly the Chongqing Changan Automobile's operations in the b-end sector. Within the Chocolate Battery Swap system, there will be several classifications for the batteries, such as brand new, slightly used, and general batteries, and during battery swaps, either brand new or slightly used batteries will be provided based on package or user choice. Moreover, currently, a new battery needs to be equipped during the vehicle off-line process, so continuously new batteries are flowing in to maintain a relatively high level of battery health.
Sunwoda Electronic's 3.0 fast-charging battery is making another appearance at the auto show. Reporters learned from Sunwoda that its 6C fast-charging battery can achieve a charging efficiency of '1 second for 1 kilometer', while the next generation 10C fast-charging battery can compress the charging time from 10-80% SOC down to 7 minutes, making 'charging more convenient than refueling'. To tackle the challenge of performance degradation in extreme cold environments, the company has developed an intelligent temperature control system and low-temperature Electrolyte, enabling the battery to operate stably at -30 degrees Celsius, with over 90% capacity at -20 degrees Celsius.
At the Sunwoda exhibition stand, Aerospace Feipeng also brought the FP-981C 'Sagittarius' vertical take-off and landing drone system powered by Sunwoda's latest generation low-altitude aircraft Battery.
(Sunwoda exhibition stand Provided by the interviewee)
Eve Energy Co.,Ltd. announced the OMNI all-purpose Battery 'In-situ Upgrade Plan'. Company Vice President Jiang Jibing stated that 'in-situ upgrade' refers to achieving different power, endurance, charging speed, and vehicle power requirements without changing the size through innovations in chemical material systems. For example, moving from the LFP material system to the LMX material system, and then to NCM medium-nickel and high-nickel not only allows for flexible adjustments of power and endurance but also enables adjustments of charging time and varying power requirements of the vehicle. Through in-situ upgrades, not only can the development time of the battery system be shortened to 3-6 months, but it can also reduce R&D costs by 80%.
Zhongchuang Xinhang (03931.HK) showcased premium Batteries and comprehensive system solutions at the auto show, with premium Batteries supporting the global debut of SAIC Audi E5 Sportback, Mazda EZ-60, Ledo L90, and ARCFOX T1.
Moreover, Geely Holding Group announced at the Shanghai Auto Show that it has completed the strategic integration of its battery business, officially establishing a new battery industry group - Zhejiang Jiyao Tongxing Energy Technology Co., Ltd., unifying the original Golden Brick Battery and Divine Shield Short Knife Battery under the 'Divine Shield Golden Brick' brand, achieving an integrated safety system for self-developed and self-produced batteries and Cell products.
Zheng Xin, Vice President and CSO of Geely Holding Group, told a reporter from the Financial Association that in the future, the Battery Industry will definitely concentrate at the top as competition in the automotive industry intensifies. Geely's integration of its battery business is actually aimed at winning this elimination game, creating successful popular Cells, and forming new competitive advantages. Currently, the brand new Golden Brick Cells mainly focus on lithium iron phosphate routes, concentrating on short blade routes in the size range of 500-600mm. The Golden Brick Cells will first serve high-end brands like ZEEKR; at the same time, the short blade Battery will also be adapted for Geely's strategic models, such as the Geely Galaxy E5 model equipped with the original Shen Dun short blade Battery, achieving equity for short blades, allowing Geely's strategic models to also use short blade Cells.
The "Fast Charging" battle: Megawatt-level ultra charging compresses charging and energy replenishment time to the "minute level".
Against the backdrop of a global energy structure transformation, the electric vehicle industry is experiencing explosive growth, with megawatt-level ultra charging compressing charging and energy replenishment time to the "minute level", approaching the refueling experience of gasoline vehicles. Megawatt charging usually refers to charging technology that achieves a charging power level of megawatts (1MW and above), which has significant improvements in charging power and speed compared to currently mainstream quick charging.
At this auto show, BYD presented its newly launched megawatt flash charging technology. According to the company booth staff, the megawatt flash charging technology is centered around a 1000V high-voltage architecture and 10C high rate Batteries, with charging currents reaching 1000A and charging power reaching 1 megawatt, achieving a peak charging speed of '2 kilometers in 1 second'. Furthermore, the megawatt flash charging technology is in mass production, mounted on the Tang L and Han L models. It employs storage technology to alleviate pressure on the power grid.
(BYD Booth Photo by Financial Association reporter)
In the battery sector, Contemporary Amperex Technology has launched the latest second-generation Shenxing ultra charging Battery, with 12C peak charging power exceeding 1.3 megawatts, enabling 5 minutes of charging for over 520 kilometers of range. Sunwoda Electronic targets the pain points of electrification transformation in Commercial Vehicles, equipping a commercial vehicle Battery with 1.4MW ultra-high power charging, boosting capacity efficiency by 400% with a rapid 15-minute energy replenishment.
Huawei, ZEEKR, and Star Charging's megawatt-level Charging Stations also made their debut at the auto show. Huawei's megawatt supercharging product was just launched before the auto show. It is reported that Huawei's fully liquid-cooled megawatt-level supercharging can achieve a peak power of 1.5 megawatts, providing 20 kilowatt-hours of energy per minute, with dual-gun continuous charging currents reaching 2400A, allowing heavy trucks to charge to 90% (approximately 300 kilowatt-hour battery capacity) in 15 minutes.
(Huawei Booth Photo by Financial Association reporter)
ZEEKR debuted the V4 super charging megawatt station at the auto show, with a single gun peak power of 1.3 megawatts and a peak current of 1300A. The first V4 super charging megawatt station has been established in Hangzhou, with a total power of 1440kW. Further pilot projects will be launched in core cities such as Shenzhen, accelerating the entry of new energy vehicles into the "single gun megawatt era."
Xingxing Charging released two megawatt fast charging new products at this auto show. According to the booth staff, the single gun current is 1200A, supporting a maximum voltage of 1000V, with a power of 1.2 megawatts, allowing simultaneous charging of two vehicles, with a total power of 2.4 megawatts during full power charging with dual guns.
According to their introduction, the dual gun strategy is cost-effective, cheaper than a single gun, and guarantees safety. The product uses liquid cooling technology, allowing the gun cable to be less thick and convenient to use. The product is equipped with a rectifier cabinet to convert alternating current to direct current for vehicle charging. One rectifier cabinet can support multiple charging terminals, sharing the cabinet's power among the charging guns.
Industry insiders pointed out that the technological innovations and market layouts of companies like BYD, Huawei, and ZEEKR provide new solutions for rapid charging of electric vehicles. As technology matures further and the market expands gradually, megawatt-level fast charging technology is expected to become the mainstream charging method for future electric vehicles, promoting further development of the new energy vehicle industry.
However, the long-term development of megawatt-level charging still needs to overcome some pain points, such as excessive load pressure on the power grid. Wang Huawen told the Financial Associated Press that in terms of power grid load, the industry is working on creating an integrated ecosystem of solar storage and vehicle charging, effectively integrating energy, which not only reduces the impact on the power grid but also minimizes safety risks, while balancing fluctuations caused by the time differences of peak load and energy distribution across various application scenarios.
Staff at Contemporary Amperex Technology booth told the Financial Associated Press that building charging stations with energy storage is quite similar to building battery swap stations. At the chocolate battery swap station, the battery replacement takes less than 80 seconds mechanically, including entering and exiting the station, it takes approximately between 100 seconds and 105 seconds.
Li Bin, founder of NIO, stated that super charging poses significant challenges to power capacity and requires the construction of energy storage devices first, which is not inexpensive, and that the charging process from the power grid to the energy storage device to the Battery involves two power loss incidents, while battery swapping only incurs one loss like charging does, resulting in higher energy utilization efficiency.
However, Li Bin also mentioned that NIO never sees super charging in opposition to battery swapping, maintaining a consistent energy route that allows for charging, swapping, and upgrading. He believes that discussions on battery swapping versus super charging should return to user value and the technology itself. Battery swapping can achieve rapid energy replenishment in 3 minutes, and no super charging will be faster than that; battery swapping operates fully automatically, providing a more comfortable experience in rainy or snowy weather without the need for the vehicle. Additionally, whether manufacturers can provide battery warranties of 8 years, 10 years, or even longer for those who frequently use super charging remains to be validated.
The supercharging technology significantly shortens the refueling time, but faces challenges such as grid load and the lack of unified charging protocols. The battery swapping model, due to high costs and fragmented standards, needs to rely on scaling and ecological cooperation to break through. The Chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology, Zeng Yuqun, has stated that by 2030, battery swapping, home charging, and public Charging Stations will each account for a third of the market.
