Under the new national standard, there are six major development trends of electric bicycle batteries

At present, the number of electric bicycles in China has reached 350 million, and electric bicycles have become an important means of transportation for people to travel short distances. However, the industrial concentration of the electric bicycle industry is not high, the innovation and research and development capabilities of enterprises are weak, the quality assurance ability is insufficient, and the frequent occurrence of safety accidents is becoming increasingly prominent.

01

The electric vehicle industry has issued relevant new regulations

In response to the hidden dangers and chaos in the above industries, government departments have taken action, and recently issued the "Standard Conditions for the Electric Bicycle Industry" and "Management Measures for the Standard Announcement of the Electric Bicycle Industry", and also formulated mandatory national standards for lithium-ion batteries for electric bicycles.

Among them, the "Standard Conditions for the Electric Bicycle Industry" and the "Measures for the Management of the Standard Announcement of the Electric Bicycle Industry" focus on the management of the electric bicycle industry, standardize the production and operation behavior of enterprises, and improve the safety level of the production, sales, use, charging and replacement, scrapping and recycling of electric bicycles. The "Standard Conditions" puts forward requirements from seven aspects, including enterprise layout, process equipment, product quality and management, and consumer rights and interests protection.

On the lithium battery side of electric vehicles, the "Standard Conditions" clearly states that enterprises should explain the risks of lithium-ion battery use and recycling in a prominent position in the vehicle product manual, and enterprises should strengthen dealer management, urge dealers to resist illegal tampering behaviors such as increasing battery voltage capacity and lifting speed limits, provide consumers with standardized use and maintenance knowledge, and remind consumers to use lithium-ion batteries and other battery products safely. The helmet that the enterprise wears with the car or gives away must meet the requirements of the national mandatory standards.

The mandatory national standard of "Safety Technical Specifications for Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Bicycles" has been issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation (National Standards Committee) (hereinafter referred to as the new national standard), which will be officially implemented on November 1, 2024.

The new national standard stipulates the safety requirements and test methods for lithium batteries for electric bicycles applicable to the "Safety Technical Specifications for Electric Bicycles" from the two levels of single batteries and battery packs. Among them, the single battery mainly considers six safety requirements: overcharge, overdischarge, external short circuit, thermal abuse, acupuncture, and marking; The battery pack mainly considers 22 safety requirements in 7 aspects, including electrical safety, mechanical safety, environmental safety, thermal diffusion, mutual recognition and collaborative charging, data collection, and marking.

It should be reminded that the new national standard only applies to lithium-ion batteries for electric bicycles with a maximum output voltage of no more than 60V as specified in GB 17761 "Safety Technical Specifications for Electric Bicycles". Lithium-ion batteries are not suitable for use in electric scooters, balance bikes, electric motorcycles, electric tricycles, etc.

In addition, according to the regulations, after the implementation of the new national standard, lithium-ion batteries for electric bicycles sold in China must meet its requirements.

02

The new national standard "transition period" is the focus

It is understood that at present, more than 20% of the new models of electric bicycles released by major domestic electric bicycle brands are equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Among the frequent fire accidents, lithium-ion batteries bear the brunt. Therefore, how to solve the high-profile battery safety problem has become one of the top priorities of the electric vehicle industry.

He Penglin, deputy director of the Safety Technology Research Center of China Electronics Standardization Institute and the main drafter of the new national standard, believes that during the six-month transition period when the new national standard is about to land, all enterprises and consumers should not stay out of the matter and should be laid out early.

It said that for battery manufacturers, they should study the relevant technical requirements of the new national standard as soon as possible, implement the new national standard in advance, and develop lithium batteries that meet the new national standard; For bicycle companies, it is recommended to quickly adjust the battery procurement requirements and purchase batteries that meet the new national standard as soon as possible; For operating enterprises that share battery swapping, it is recommended to eliminate the old batteries as soon as possible during the transition period and replace them with lithium batteries that meet the new national standard; For consumers, it is recommended to take a look when buying an electric bicycle, check the implementation standards of the battery, and try to choose a model equipped with a battery that meets the new national standard.

Based on the judgment of the new regulations and He Penglin and other professionals, the starting point lithium battery believes that the next development direction of the electric bicycle industry will mainly focus on two aspects, one is to accelerate the penetration of the battery swap mode into the C-end, and the other is to maximize the pressure on battery manufacturers.

03

Accelerate the construction of a "battery swap city"

On the one hand, it can reduce the charging time and alleviate the anxiety of battery life, and on the other hand, it can reduce the risk of accidents caused by short circuit and overcharge during charging.

At present, this safer "energy replenishment method" is widely accepted, and it is shifting from B-end businesses such as takeaway and express delivery to the C-end market of personal travel, and the government is playing a leading role.

At the forefront of the industry are Shenzhen and Nanjing, two cities are making every effort to build a "battery swap city". Shenzhen clearly proposed that 50,000 new battery swap cabinets (500,000 warehouses) should be built within 3 years, and gradually reach the construction ratio of 10:1 between the number of electric bicycles and the battery swap warehouse, forming a new pattern of "battery swapping as the main body and charging as a supplement"; Nanjing Transportation Bureau, National Development and Reform Commission and other departments have drafted the "Nanjing Electric Bicycle Charging (Changing) Facilities Construction and Operation Management Measures (Trial)", which intends to comprehensively encourage and guide the promotion of the new model of electric bicycles in residential areas.

In addition, on May 5, the electric bicycle associations of seven provinces and cities, including Beijing, Guangdong, Guangxi, Anhui, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan, announced that they would formulate a unified group standard for public charging and swapping facilities.

It can be seen that with the support of all parties, the charging and swapping infrastructure will be more unified, safe and perfect, which can effectively solve the problems of difficult charging, short battery life and safety for ordinary consumers.

At the same time, under the demonstration role of the above provinces and cities, more regions will join the "battery swap" camp, and the city of battery swap will truly achieve a breakthrough from "0-1-100".

04

The main development trend of batteries for electric vehicles

Whether it is the electric bicycle industry or the derivative battery swap industry, the power battery is always a key factor affecting the safety performance of electric vehicles. This is also mentioned above, battery manufacturers will become the largest pressure bearer.

Starting point lithium battery believes that with the advancement of the new national standard, lithium batteries for electric bicycles will mainly show the following development trends:

1. Battery companies will increase R&D investment, and launch batteries that meet the requirements of the new national standard from multiple dimensions such as weight, safety, and charging speed. It is expected that in the second half of the year, battery products for electric bicycles will be updated faster than in the past.

2. Battery performance, especially safety, will become the focus of the industry, and the balanced development of battery life and safety will become the main research direction of battery companies.

3. The battery swap mode is the trend of the times, and the battery swap battery that meets the industry standards and meets the consumer demand will become the main product of electric bicycle batteries, and has a large incremental market.

4. Under the guidance of government departments, electric bicycle batteries and battery swap batteries will accelerate the unification of standards, and the "three nos" small workshops will be cleared out of the market, but the competition of mainstream battery companies will intensify, and the market share will be further concentrated.

5. Leading enterprises will play a leading role, and automotive-grade battery technology will be accelerated in the field of electric bicycles, such as BYD, CATL, Xingheng and other enterprises.

6. The R&D and launch of new battery products are accelerated, such as the high-temperature performance of sodium-ion batteries, which will help sodium batteries accelerate the replacement of lead-acid and lithium battery markets.