2017 battery market can be described as extremely exciting, ultra-billion capital influx of auto companies set off a boom of self-built systems, raw materials prices have risen, all reveal the elusive sense of helplessness.
The decline in battery prices, but also to sandwiched between the power battery companies, especially small and medium enterprises, their living conditions more and more difficult.
Battery price is behind the black hand?
This year, the price of lithium batteries plunged 20% to 30% side of the upstream material prices soared, while the downstream car prices and strong demand for price cuts, battery companies sandwiched between the two ends under pressure to face the dual market and cost pressure.
(1) The prices of upstream materials soared sharply, cobalt prices rose sharply at the beginning of this year, lithium carbonate prices soared in August, during the National Day of nickel prices soaring, the prices of raw materials in the upper reaches were still strong and the economy is expected to continue. People said that by the upper reaches of cobalt, lithium and other raw material prices, the cost of business this year increased at least 15%.
② Exemption from acquisition tax ends by the end of this year, and 20% of current subsidy standards will be withdrawn from the slope in 2018. Among them, subsidies for passenger cars and special-purpose vehicles will be about 20% of the down-slopes and 30% to 50% of the buses will be withdrawn from the slope, 1 dropped to 1: 0.5. Seriously rely on government subsidies to nurture the new energy car prices suffered a serious blow at the moment, requiring large power companies cut prices.
Purchase tax and subsidy policy information as shown below:
③ In the first half of 2017, automobile market as a whole was in a downturn with poor sales and direct transmission to the upstream battery enterprises, while the remaining 2 months before the end of the year were affected by the subsidies and the recession is expected to occur in 2018, which does not exclude some battery manufacturers initiating sales promotion Price war.
Under the dual pressures of automobile enterprises and material enterprises, the battery enterprises not only need to share the costs, but also bear the price reduction requirements of the overall environment, thus decreasing the profitability.
How to break the battery business ice, reducing the cost of still space?
At present, China's new energy automotive market is entering a new round of expansion, and as the core of new energy vehicles, power batteries are standing in the vestibule, still faces many challenges.
First, the auto company self-built supply system. On the one hand, a number of OEMs are planning self-powered battery system, some car companies to PACK as an entry point, trying to seize the core components.For example, October 24, BMW Brilliance Shenyang Power Battery Center project landing and Dongfeng On the other hand, many large car makers in Europe and the United States started to carry out R & D and evaluation of advanced battery materials directly in order to occupy the high ground of new energy vehicles and continue to lead the development of new energy vehicles. For example, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and General Motors and other international car giant.
Second, the upper reaches of the enterprise waiting to enter. Lithium in the upper reaches of enterprises rely on their own advantage of the industrial chain into the battery industry.
Third, foreign-funded or joint-venture battery companies began to gradually enter the promotion directory. For local battery companies, the pressure surge, but for small and medium enterprises, it can be described as a devastating impact.
In addition to the group of wolves, the battery business itself is still a 'heart disease'.
At present, the output of both ternary battery and lithium iron phosphate battery basically occupy 95% of the 2016 battery market shipments, but is due to the centralization of differentiation, other materials, low battery shipments, type of competition Intense, exacerbating the power battery overcapacity.
And with the leading scale to enhance, improve the yield, the upstream lithium, cobalt, nickel and other turns up, downstream subsidies, the battery business pressure on both ends of the more obvious, the path of cost reduction may be quite difficult.
Lithium Battery Big Data understands that the price of the battery system has dropped from 3.5 yuan / Wh five years ago to the current 1.8 yuan / Wh, and to meet the target of the Ministry of Industry's previous battery pack cost dropped to 1 yuan / Wh in 2020, Long way to go.
It is worth mentioning that the different battery price cuts are different, further reducing the profits of the battery business.In 2017 the price of lithium iron phosphate battery down about 20% -30%, ternary battery price cuts in the 10 % -15% or so.
The industry believes that although the battery prices have dropped significantly, but does not mean that the cost of space to be compressed in his view, the biggest space is brought about by technological advances to increase the battery energy density, if the energy density doubled, that It is equivalent to the battery cost can be reduced by nearly half.
Under such circumstances, in order to keep a firm position in the heights, the most crucial thing is to master the core technologies, to make good and stronger product quality, so as to lower costs and enhance the profitability of enterprises, otherwise they will be eliminated.
