In the face of this commonplace topic, there are often two different voices on the Internet. The positive side naturally insists on "curing range anxiety at the root", while the opposite side takes into account the "increase in the cost of buying a car", at least in terms of the existing technical level, the opposite side occupies an absolute advantage.
However, from the perspective of car companies, there will naturally be a market where there is demand, and the research and development of large-capacity batteries and long-range models has become one of the mainstream tracks in the new energy market. As far as NIO is concerned, as early as the beginning of 2021, NIO released a "150kWh solid-state battery", although it did not achieve the target of delivery in the fourth quarter of 2022, but last year, NIO Li Bin measured that the NIO ET7 equipped with the battery pack drove 1044km continuously, which is enough to make people look forward to it.
But what no one expected was that the reversal would come so quickly. On April 8, in the connection of NIO's 150kWh battery pack self-driving 318 Sichuan-Tibet live broadcast event, Li Bin said: "(150kWh battery pack) is more symbolic than practical, who has nothing to do to drive more than 1,000 kilometers in one go." The implication is that there is no absolute need for its existence. In the evening of the same day, the Zhiji L6 opened pre-sales as the "first mass-produced model with solid-state batteries", and the pre-sale price of the top-spec model was 330,000 yuan.
As we all know, in the early days of the birth of new car-making forces, car companies need attention and exposure, in the early years, Li Bin, for "what is good about oil cars except for smelling gasoline", "Porsche factory is not as good as JAC factory" and other remarks, although it attracted some black fans, but it also really made Weilai always stand in the spotlight. Now it seems that it is in response to the evaluation of "Mr. enters the game as a body".
What is different from the past is that Li Bin's evaluation of the 150kWh battery pack, especially from the perspective of his own strengths, is enough to provoke deep thought. For most people, even if they drive a fuel car without range anxiety, the cruising range in a single day rarely exceeds 1000km. Compared with how far the vehicle can run, the key to the impact of battery life anxiety is whether the remaining battery life is accurate, whether the charging speed is fast or not, and whether the charging stations along the way can be used when they arrive. If you have to drive a pure electric model into the "no man's land", I am afraid that the 150kWh battery will not be enough.
In addition, Qin Lihong of NIO said last year that the cost of a 150kWh battery pack is very high, "equivalent to a NIO ET5", and even according to the entry price of the new car, it has reached about 300,000 yuan, which means a higher cost of enjoyment. In other words, 1000km range is like money in a wallet, what everyone wants is "can be used, but it is better to use", but if this working capital requires high "interest", it will make consumers redefine "need or not".
Moreover, if you are simply looking for "longer range", pure electric models are not the most preferred, and hybrid models are the ideal answer. According to reliable sources, BYD will release the fifth-generation DM-i hybrid system this year, the first equipped model Seal 06, the maximum pure electric range is only 90km, but the fuel consumption under NEDC working conditions is less than 3L, and the comprehensive cruising range is expected to exceed 2000km. At the same time, Geely will also launch a new generation of Thor electric hybrid technology, whose hybrid engine thermal efficiency will exceed 46%, and the comprehensive range will exceed 2,000km.
Obviously, compared with Li Bin's frequent "golden sentences" in the past few years, the evaluation of the 150kWh battery pack can be described as very "down-to-earth". From the perspective of ordinary users, the "more than 1,000 kilometers of battery life" model is just a way for car companies to show their strength, and there is no need to follow the trend; if there is really a need for high-frequency and high-intensity battery life, perhaps it is long time ago to choose the M7 or the ideal L8.