Eight years have passed, where should the batteries of new energy vehicles go?

CCTV News: Pay attention to the truth and get to the bottom of it. There are two important issues with new energy vehicle batteries: attenuation and loss of warranty. Starting from 2016, my country's new energy vehicle batteries and other core components will implement an 8-year or 120,000-kilometer warranty period in accordance with regulations. By this year, the first batch of new energy vehicle batteries with an eight-year warranty are gradually entering the "warranty period." Can the power batteries of these new energy vehicles still be used? After the warranty period, should I replace the battery or the car? Let’s pay attention together.

How long is the lifespan of new energy vehicle power batteries?

Many owners of new energy vehicles who purchased new energy vehicles around 2016 reported that they had experienced significant attenuation of power batteries. So, how long is the life of the power battery of new energy vehicles?

According to incomplete statistics, the power batteries of most new energy passenger vehicles can be used for about 8 to 10 years under normal use conditions. However, in actual use, the life performance of batteries from different manufacturers and models varies greatly, and the mileage range of the use cycle ranges from 100,000 kilometers to 300,000 kilometers. Experts point out that the life of the battery is mainly affected by the number of charge and discharge cycles, and the battery life of different battery types is also different. The life of a power battery includes two parts: cycle life and calendar life. According to current mainstream technical analysis in the industry, the cycle life of lithium iron phosphate batteries can reach about 3,000 times, and the cycle life of ternary lithium batteries can also reach more than 2,000 times.

Zhao Zhiwei, a senior expert at the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute: The 3,000 and 2,000 times does not mean that our battery is completely unusable. It means that when it reaches 3,000 and 2,000 times, our battery capacity reaches 80% of the initial capacity. It It can still be used, but we will feel a relatively obvious reduction in the driving range of electric vehicles. Then according to the frequency of charging 1-2 times a week, and considering the battery's calendar life, there is no problem in using the power battery for 8-10 years.

Can the power battery still be used after 8 years?

Industry insiders said that requiring car companies to implement an 8-year or 120,000-kilometer warranty on batteries was based on the development status of new energy vehicles at the time. So after 8 years, can the power battery still be used and how long can it be used? In this regard, industry insiders said that the battery life, in addition to its own quality, also depends on the user's usage. How to deal with it? Professionals also gave advice.

Lei Wanbo, Chief Technical Engineer of the Domestic Passenger Vehicle Division of CATL New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.: The suggestion is that only after 8 years, we can find some professional institutions to conduct a health test on the entire vehicle, including the battery, and then based on There are roughly three destinations for the test results. The first is that if the battery is in good working condition and has a relatively high health, it can continue to be used in the car; the second point is that it may not meet the standards for use in the entire vehicle, but it can still be used. In terms of value, you can choose to recycle and let the battery enter the echelon utilization scenario; thirdly, there may really be no use value, so choose battery recycling and recycle and reuse materials.

Can the replacement battery be repaired if it is expensive?

As the core component of new energy vehicles, power batteries generally account for more than 20% of the total cost of new energy vehicles. Therefore, batteries with a long service life are more expensive to replace. Can it be repaired? Industry insiders say repairs also carry risks.

Second-hand car appraiser Xiao Cheng: If the battery is disassembled and then repaired, the sealing will definitely not be as good as the original one. It needs to be re-glued and re-sealed. The ones that come out of the production line are made by you behind the scenes. It is definitely different, and the disassembled battery pack must match. If it does not match, the probability of problems later will be greater. After repair, the voltage may often become unstable.

How is the second-hand market for new energy vehicles?

Facing the expiration of the warranty, many new energy vehicle owners may consider replacing their vehicles. However, what is the market situation of new energy vehicles in the second-hand market? Let’s take a look at the reporter’s visit report.

At this second-hand car trading market in Guangzhou, the reporter learned that many consumers in the market are currently interested in second-hand new energy vehicles, but the health status of the batteries of new energy vehicles directly affects the selling price of second-hand new energy vehicles. For example, when a new energy vehicle is used for more than five years, the battery decay is obvious, the cruising range is greatly shortened, and the selling price in the second-hand car market will also drop significantly. New energy vehicles that have been used for seven or eight years can only reach 20 to 30% of the price of a new car. Right or left, the price is low and it is difficult to sell, and the market conditions are not good.

Due to concerns about battery loss, many consumers say they will only consider buying second-hand new energy vehicles that are within three to five years.

How to protect the rights and interests of new energy vehicle consumers?

For the first batch of new energy vehicle owners, should they replace the car or the battery? Some new energy vehicle 4S stores suggest that because battery replacement and repair costs are relatively high, it may be more cost-effective to trade in these "out of warranty" vehicles. Faced with power battery issues, how should the automotive industry better protect the rights and interests of new energy vehicle consumers?

Wang Du, Vice President of China Automobile Dealers Association: We believe that power battery companies, OEMs, third-party testing agencies and maintenance companies should jointly build a new energy power battery after-sales service system. This system can ensure consumers’ right to know and be able to Only by allowing consumers to consume clearly can we promote the healthy development of new energy vehicles.

The reporter also noticed that extending the warranty period is also a new strategy of many manufacturers. Since this year, many new energy vehicle manufacturers have begun to popularize the "three-electric system lifetime warranty" service and lowered the warranty policy threshold. New energy manufacturers have introduced unlimited battery guarantees, including lifetime warranties for motors and electronic control systems. In addition, some manufacturers have further improved the after-sales service level of new energy vehicles by cooperating with third-party maintenance chain brands.

Can new energy vehicles achieve "same lifespan of vehicle and battery"?

With the breakthrough of science and technology, the current new energy vehicle power battery in energy density, charging speed, cycle life and other aspects have been significantly improved. In the future, new energy vehicles can achieve the ‘car power with life’?

Zhang Xiang, a researcher at the Automotive Industry Innovation Research Center of North China University of Technology: "Cars and batteries have the same lifespan". A few car companies have publicized this aspect. The number of cycles promoted is a theoretical number of cycles. The car will go through various processes during use. After being tested under various working conditions for a long time, the life of the battery will decrease, which is inevitable. At present, the mainstream battery technology is still lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolyte, and the technical level is not yet able to guarantee the "same life span of vehicle and battery". Some car companies are promoting new technologies such as solid-state batteries, including sodium-ion batteries. The technology is currently immature and has not been applied on a large scale.