Electric bicycle centralized charging facilities are poised for an industry boom.

At the first Electric Bicycle Charging and Battery-Swapping Technology Innovation Conference, the views expressed by enterprises also drew considerable attention. In his speech, Yuan Zhiliang, Vice President of Huawei’s Site Energy and Smart Charging Business, pointed out that the electric bicycle industry is developing very rapidly, yet its infrastructure remains severely inadequate, leaving enormous room for growth. Currently, the industry’s development stage is still unable to meet future demands for battery-swapping services. “The charging and battery-swapping market has great growth potential, but the current lack of standards is holding back industry development. The release of standards at this conference is expected to accelerate the industry’s healthier development,” said Su Chen, Deputy Director of the CITIC Securities Research Institute, who echoed Yuan Zhiliang’s view from an industry research perspective. Regarding ensuring charging safety and technological innovation, Chen Mengbin, Chief Technology Officer of Didi Qingju, stated in his subsequent remarks that safety cannot be addressed by a single solution alone; rather, it must be tackled through a relatively systematic and comprehensive approach. Huang Jiaxi, Chairman of Shenzhen Yimada Technology, emphasized that technological innovation is the driving force behind the entire battery-swapping industry’s development. It is reported that since the implementation of the new national standard for electric bicycles in 2019, the shared charging and battery-swapping industry has ushered in a period of development opportunities. Several charging and battery-swapping companies have successively secured financing. Charging and battery-swapping services are continuously being explored in the B2B sector. Under the impact of the pandemic, new business models and formats—such as same-city fresh food and catering delivery, and same-city home-delivery services—have been spurred into existence. Wang Zhixuan, President of the Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Branch of the China Electricity Council, noted that with the introduction of national regulations governing electric bicycle charging practices and the promotion of centralized charging to ensure charging safety, centralized charging facilities have experienced rapid growth. As of now, the number of centralized charging facilities for electric bicycles nationwide has reached 4 million units, providing charging and battery-swapping services for over 100 million electric bicycles. Looking ahead, as the new national standard gradually replaces the existing market and the state intensifies efforts to regulate safe bicycle charging, centralized charging facilities are poised for an industry-wide boom.

Solid-state batteries represent the future direction of lithium battery development.

Solid-state batteries have an energy density that is more than ten times higher than that of conventional lithium-ion batteries, and their charging speed is dozens of times faster. This enables new-energy vehicles equipped with solid-state batteries to achieve significantly longer driving ranges. As new-energy vehicles continue to develop, the market’s demands on power batteries are becoming increasingly stringent. Whether it comes to range, energy density, or safety, various types of lithium-ion batteries—each with distinct advantages and disadvantages—are no longer well-suited to the requirements of the new era. Currently, the energy density achievable by liquid lithium-ion batteries has nearly reached its limit. In contrast, all-solid-state lithium batteries have the potential to break through the 500 Wh/kg mark in terms of energy density. Therefore, solid-state batteries represent the future direction for lithium-ion battery development. At present, companies around the world are stepping up their research and development efforts in the field of solid-state lithium batteries. Coupled with supportive policies from governments worldwide, the industrialization process of solid-state lithium batteries is expected to accelerate. According to forecasts by relevant institutions, global demand for solid-state batteries could reach 500 GWh by 2030. Based on conservative estimates by experts, this could create a market size exceeding 300 billion yuan. It is projected that China’s shipments of solid-state batteries will experience rapid growth from 2021 to 2030, potentially surpassing 250 GWh by 2030.

The race for solid-state batteries has begun—who will emerge as the champion?

Over the past few years, power battery technology has made rapid strides, yet safety concerns and range anxiety remain intractable challenges for the industry. Today, electric vehicles are experiencing strong momentum, with sales hitting record highs time and again. However, safety risks associated with batteries continue to surface one after another. In fact, the safety risks of electric vehicles can largely be attributed to liquid lithium-ion batteries. Once a battery is subjected to compression or impact, its separator may rupture, leading to a short circuit between the positive and negative electrodes. At the same time, the lithium battery generates significant heat internally, and combined with the flammable organic solvents in the liquid electrolyte, this can result in battery fires—or even explosions. Solid-state batteries hold promise for completely resolving these safety issues. In solid-state batteries, the positive and negative electrodes are less likely to short-circuit; moreover, the solid electrolyte is non-flammable, non-volatile, and even capable of withstanding high temperatures. As a result, under similar extreme conditions, solid-state batteries won't catch fire or explode. Addressing range anxiety essentially relies on boosting the energy density of batteries. According to the "Technology Roadmap for Energy-Saving and New Energy Vehicles," the target energy density for power batteries by 2025 is 400 Wh/kg, and by 2030, it’s set at 500 Wh/kg. To achieve the 2030 target, the current liquid lithium-ion battery technology path may struggle to meet the demand. Even the existing ceiling of 350 Wh/kg is proving difficult to break through. In contrast, solid-state batteries can easily surpass the 350 Wh/kg mark in terms of energy density. Furthermore, solid-state batteries boast an exceptionally long lifespan: after 30 years of use, they still retain more than 90% of their original capacity and can be recycled for further use. Thus, solid-state batteries outperform lithium-ion batteries in virtually every aspect.

“5G + Smart Streetlights” Boost China’s Smart City Development

As early as 2008, IBM introduced the concept of “Smart Planet,” and in 2010, it proposed the vision of “Smart Cities.” Governments around the world have been actively promoting the construction and development of smart cities and have achieved remarkable results.