The automotive industry is undergoing a transformation towards electromobility. China's suppliers have been able to take advantage of this transformation – and are thus becoming increasingly important for the German automotive industry. This increases the pressure on German companies to innovate. But here in Germany, the transformation is proving sluggish.
By Ning Wang
Work on the electric car battery of the future with a range of over 1000 kilometers is in full swing. In China, market leader CATL in particular is working on several options for further increasing not only range, but also safety and energy density - ideally with less space requirements and at low cost. The charging speed also plays an important role.
By Christiane Kuehl
Daimler is doubling the pace of its electric strategy. The problem: this makes the Stuttgart-based manufacturer more dependent than ever on the reliable procurement of high-quality battery cells. Can Daimler's Chinese partner Farasis deliver as promised? The company apparently has its doubts – and has now announced the construction of its own gigafactories.
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China is one of the largest markets for electric vehicles. While sales of new vehicles are booming, the recycling of batteries in the People's Republic is still underdeveloped. Many batteries disappear into illegal channels, important raw materials are lost. Experts see a discrepancy between regulations and reality. Green e-mobility has a sustainability problem.
By Nico Beckert
The e-car industry is booming, technologies are developing. Battery cells are needed everywhere. So it is not surprising that new batteries from China are desired. After all, China's largest battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) is the global number one in batteries. As a result, the dependence of the automotive and technology industries on Chinese battery suppliers is also growing. In addition, China has two-thirds of the deposits of critical raw materials such as antimony and barite and other rare earths that are elemental to drone, battery and robot production. As a result, China is also among the top three global suppliers, well ahead of the U.S. and Russia. However, even China does not have all the raw materials and supplies, so there was an increased shortage of computer chips, especially during the coronavirus crisis. This is because the Chinese battery industry could not keep up with the booming e-industry and supply shortages. And yet, the Chinese battery industry is growing steadily. For the Chinese battery manufacturer CATL wants to supply an alternative to lithium batteries with sodium-ion batteries. BYD, on the other hand, is working on its blade technology, which has a lower fire risk. This is because it contains a lithium-iron-phosphate battery. GAC, on the other hand, claims to have produced a square hard-shell cell with an energy density of 275 Wh per kilogram. The variety of battery cells demonstrates the Chinese industry's edge. From joint ventures of suppliers to supply bottlenecks to recycling and investment in and of batteries - news on new batteries from China from Table.Redaktion.
