Exclusive Dialogue with Leap Cao Li: The golden period of range extension in China will last for three to five years

Since the past two years, the domestic range extension market seems to have ushered in its own "spring" in a posture that exceeds the expectations of most people. New power brands such as Ideal, Wenjie, Lantu, Nezha, Deep Blue, and Leap have successively "bet" on this market segment.

In fact, since the launch of the Ideal ONE, people have been debating the range extender technology without stopping. Some people say that it is "putting the cart before the horse", the level of energy efficiency is not high, and sooner or later it will be obsolete, while others insist that as long as it is suitable for the consumer needs of the Chinese market, it is an advanced technology. However, in the midst of controversy, the performance of extended-range electric vehicles in the market cannot help but be eye-catching.

In just two or three years, the ideal in "Wei Xiaoli" has gone from the "tail of the team" to the "number one", and the question world is even more catching up and surpassing the ideal of "big brother on the list". In the eyes of many people, although the technical route of the extended range is considered "not advanced", consumers have voted for the extended range model with "real money".

Here is a very representative set of data, in March this year, the top four new power brands in terms of sales volume Wenjie, ideal, zero run and dark blue, people with a discerning eye can see that this is naturally inseparable from the help of the extended range route.

Recently, on the hot topic of range extension technology, Titanium Media App had an exclusive conversation with Cao Li, senior vice president of Leapmotor, and in an in-depth discussion, he also shared his insights and experience in this field.

The core value of the extended-range vehicle is to meet the actual needs of users

The exact definition of range extender technology and its distinction from super range extender is the starting point of Cao Li's discussion. He pointed out that the core of this technology is to increase the range of pure electric vehicles, without having to rely entirely on battery stocks. In this way, even on long journeys, the electric car will not stop when it runs out of power. Cao emphasized that compared to some other seemingly high-tech solutions, the range extender technology is more focused on practical applications, aiming to solve the user's range anxiety by maximizing energy efficiency.

Someone said before that "range extension is a backward technology", the logic here is that the engine as a range extender, will not be used to directly drive the vehicle, but for power generation, so it seems that the technical structure of the range extension product is very simple, just like a pure electric car, an additional large charging treasure, it seems to be a bit redundant, but in fact, from the current new energy development trend, in the battery technology, charging pile construction and other aspects are not yet fully mature, range extension has become the most reliable form of power.

For this view, Cao Li explained the misunderstanding of range extender technology and its reasons from his perspective, emphasizing that range extender technology is not backward, and its core value lies in meeting the actual needs of users. He mentioned that judging the advancement of a technology is not just based on its complexity or difficulty, but also on whether it can effectively solve the user's problem. Range extender technology provides a solution that meets the user's need for a long battery life by providing energy replenishment when the power is exhausted.

Cao Li also gave a detailed explanation of how the range extender actually works. In his view, it is not only the performance of the engine itself that is important, but also how the engine, generator and electric motor work together effectively to achieve optimal distribution and utilization of energy. This involves a complex energy management system that requires precise control of all aspects to ensure optimal performance and minimum energy consumption in all driving conditions.

It can be said that in most cases, the range extension can be 100% pure electric driving like the pure electric model, and at the same time, due to the range extender can generate electricity and charge the battery, which makes it completely free of range anxiety.

However, in the actual use process, there are still many problems in the extended range model, among which the range extender is too noisy, the fuel consumption is too high, and the power attenuation is the most obvious after the feeding state. And the core of this is NVH and vibration, because some range extender systems are not doing well because of these two things, so that the vehicle has power and no power to drive like two cars.

In this regard, Cao Li also analyzed the innovation and optimization of Leapmotor in this technology, and how to work closely with experts in various fields, including how to reduce vibration and noise (NVH) during engine operation, and how to optimize software control strategies to achieve smoother and more economical operation. This interdisciplinary collaboration enables Leapmotor to achieve breakthroughs in range extender technology and provide an excellent user experience.

He pointed out that although many manufacturers have adopted similar solutions in range extension technology, Leapmotor has achieved obvious advantages in user experience by simplifying the solution and optimizing software strategies. Leapmotor has successfully combined the range extender technology with user needs to achieve relatively stable output and low fuel consumption.

Of course, facing challenges is an inevitable part of all technological innovations, and range extender technology is no exception. Cao Li candidly shared some of the main challenges they encountered in the development process, such as how to improve the conversion efficiency of the engine to the generator, how to ensure the stable operation of the engine under different working conditions, and how to minimize the noise during operation through advanced sound insulation materials and design optimization. Through continuous innovation and improvement, Leapmotor has successfully overcome these obstacles and further optimized the performance and reliability of the range extender.

The golden period of range extension in China will last for three to five years

In recent years, the leapfrog development of hybrid technology is obvious to all. However, in contrast, the "technical content" of range extension technology has not seen a major change. When it comes to this issue, Cao Li also provides his professional insight into the development of this field. As an important part of electric vehicle technology, range extension technology has not achieved the same volume as hybrid technology in recent years, but in fact, its progress cannot be ignored.

Cao Li pointed out that from the perspective of the technology itself, the range extension technology has not undergone drastic changes, but from the perspective of product and user needs, this technology provides a more flexible and diverse solution. Especially in terms of cost control, system simplification and reliability, the range extension technology provides an effective way to meet the needs of users in different price ranges. He further noted that range extender technology offers a clearer brand positioning impact than hybrid technology, especially in the economy segment, and better caters to consumer needs by simplifying the system and reducing costs.

In terms of market reaction, Cao Li mentioned that although there was controversy about the range extension technology before, the range extension technology did not lag behind in terms of sales, but began to lead to a certain extent because of its unique market positioning and user experience. Consumer acceptance of range extender technology has increased, mainly because it can provide an experience similar to that of electric vehicles, while solving the problem of electric vehicle range anxiety. Range extender technology makes vehicles more economical, reliable and reliable, and the maintenance cost is relatively low, which is an important reason why consumers are gradually accepting and choosing range extender technology.

This change in sales structure seems to be gradually showing a trend, that is, in the future, extended-range electric vehicles are likely to become the "main force" in the plug-in hybrid field.

Perhaps one of the key reasons for all these predictions in the industry is the practical utility of extended-range electric vehicles. For many consumers, range anxiety about BEVs has been a limiting factor. Extended-range electric vehicles effectively solve this problem by introducing the engine to generate electricity when the battery life is insufficient. The average daily range of China's new energy vehicles is 45 to 46 kilometers, and the 200 kilometers of pure electric range of the extended range model is enough for daily use. This embodiment of practicality is undoubtedly a key to the success of extended-range electric vehicles.

In this regard, Cao Li also shared the latest situation of Leapmotor in terms of extended-range models to corroborate. He revealed that range-extender models such as the C10 and C11 have accounted for 40% to 45% of Leapmotor's sales, which reflects the market's recognition and acceptance of range-extender technology. What's more noteworthy is that, according to Leapmotor's data, even if users choose the extended range model, in actual use, more than 40% of users spend no more than 20% of the engine intervention time in the driving range, which further confirms the user's preference to use less oil and more electricity as much as possible.

When talking about the development path and technical difficulties of range extender technology, Cao Li emphasized that future efforts will include joint research and development with engine manufacturers to meet the specific needs of range extender use cases, so as to achieve higher cost-effectiveness, stability and reliability. He believes that engines tailored to range extender technology could be the key to solving cost and fitness issues.

Looking ahead, Cao Li predicts that the golden age of range extender technology in China may last at least three to five years, while in the international market, especially in South America, the Middle East and Africa, and some European regions, as the demand for hybrid and range extender technology in these regions is still in the early stage, the overseas development potential of range extender technology is huge.

As far as overseas development is concerned, at this stage, Leapmotor has formulated a clear plan, which will target specific areas with strong demand to enter the market, promote range extension technology by providing models that meet the usage habits and environmental requirements of local users, and make use of the existing sales and service network to quickly promote the layout and delivery of products in the global market.

At the same time, Cao Li also revealed that Leap will start mass delivery in Europe in September this year. At that time, with the help of Stellantis Group's global channel resources and customer recognition, Leapmotor is expected to further accelerate the pace of development in overseas markets with the help of the experience of extended-range models.

(This article was first published on the Titanium Media App, author | Chang Xiao, editor - Zhang Min)