Interview with Jan Philippi + Advantages of battery swapping

Are we defending something that is perhaps no longer meant to be? Jan Philippi, an entrepreneur from Hamburg, believes that the era of particularly low-cost production in China is over. And yet, the 61-year-old himself happily witnessed how China awoke from its Mao slumber. At the time, he made the country the production base for the design manufacturer bearing his name.

But now Philippi fears the strife between the major economies will lead to further woes for the import economy. The Covid-related supply bottlenecks are just the beginning of a longer trend toward decoupling, Philippi fears in an interview with Felix Lee. The consequence: Instead of stocking up on masses of cheap goods, consumers will (have to) buy more expensive products, which they may then value more. Just like in the past, when goods still came from Europe.

Which source of energy for automobiles will win the race? This question not only concerns the big debate about hydrogen versus batteries. There are also different standards and technologies within the world of batteries. There was also some disagreement here between Germany and China on the idea of battery swap stations. German manufacturers have called the process error-prone and unnecessary; after all, there are also options for rapid charging.

Frank Sieren analyzes for us why Chinese suppliers such as NIO have made positive experiences with battery replacement. It allows the EV to be “refueled” within seconds – and the decreasing capacity of the battery is no longer a concern for the customer.

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Finn Mayer-Kuckuk