Due to the huge stock of lead-acid batteries, the market prospect of "lead-to-lithium" in the field of electric bicycles is attractive, but the road to replacement is not smooth. Lithium battery companies that come from across the border want to profit from the electric bicycle market. It is difficult to imagine, and they are facing challenges in terms of cost, channels, and product standards.
First, ATL's subsidiary Xinnengan Lithium Battery reached a cooperation with Yadea; then CATL established a joint venture company Ningde Zhixiang with Hello Travel and Ant Financial Services, focusing on two rounds of new energy product research and development, innovation and promotion, and energy network construction; At the same time, BYD is discussing cooperation with leading electric bicycle companies and actively deploying... The market competition is imminent. The competition of lithium battery giants is extending from the field of electric vehicles to the field of electric bicycles.
The pattern of the lithium battery industry has undergone a major reversal
Such changes in the competition for lithium batteries will not happen overnight. Entering 2019, the market competition in the power battery industry has further intensified, and the industry reshuffle has accelerated. Under the pressure of more than 50% reduction in subsidies, OEMs have put forward stricter requirements for battery price reduction. At the same time, the new subsidy policy puts forward higher requirements on the comprehensive performance of new energy vehicles and power batteries, which means that OEMs and battery factories need to further upgrade their products.
In order to reduce costs and enhance market competitiveness, OEMs will comprehensively consider battery companies in terms of product quality, product price, supply capacity, and corporate funds, but there are not many battery companies that can meet the above requirements. This also means that most battery companies need to adjust the company's market strategy in 2019 and find out the company's product market positioning as soon as possible.
With the entry of high-end lithium battery giants such as ATL and CATL, the electric bicycle market is currently in full swing. Traditional lead-acid battery manufacturers, lithium battery companies that have been deeply involved in electric light vehicles for a long time, and cross-border entrants from the field of new energy vehicle power batteries, three forces have jointly stirred up the "two-wheeled vehicle arena". In the eyes of industry insiders, the entry of lithium battery giants may subvert the traditional competition pattern of bicycle batteries. Even within the lithium battery, there is fierce competition of different technical routes.
Judging from the market situation this year, the market pricing of major brands of lithium batteries has been lowered to a certain extent. With the advantages of higher energy density, cleaner environmental protection, and lighter products, the pace of replacing lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries has been significantly accelerated. . It is estimated that the number of lithium battery electric bicycles in my country will exceed 10 million in 2020, and the penetration rate will exceed 50% by 2021, realizing a major reversal of the industrial structure.
Several companies have started a new layout
The high safety requirements for power batteries in the new national standard for electric bicycles, as well as its own low-cost characteristics, make lithium iron phosphate batteries one of the most powerful competitors in the electric bicycle power battery market.
Enterprises have already taken the lead in planning. The relevant layout in the field of electric bicycle batteries will help promote the development of the electric bicycle industry. Enterprises are generally divided into two directions. One is to persist in the power battery market, through product technology upgrades and capacity expansion, to enhance product competitiveness and reduce costs, to optimize customer structure and strategic cooperation with high-quality customers; the other is to reduce or give up For the power business, adjust the product structure to develop subdivided markets such as small power, energy storage, electric bicycles, and low-speed vehicles that do not rely on subsidies, and implement differentiated competition strategies.
The strict quality requirements for power batteries in the new national standard will also allow electric bicycle power batteries to get rid of the label of "low-end products". The electric bicycle power market has become another "blue ocean" for battery companies to deploy high-end production capacity