Whether purchasing a battery or customizing a battery, after multiple comparisons, customers often have different prices, and even offer vastly different quotes for the same performance, size, and capacity. To make a battery, the first step is to identify the brand, followed by labor costs, and then material costs. After calculating this whole set, each has its own price. At this point, some customers may question why your home is so much more expensive than others? So today, let's talk about the value. Starting with the battery cells, we all know that the cells are used to make batteries. A single cell is welded and assembled into a battery pack to make a finished battery.

There are also good and bad battery cells, and there are many battery cell brands. Famous domestic brands such as CATL, BYD, Zhongchuangxin Aviation, and Guoxuan High tech are also commonly used, followed by Honeycomb, Funeng, Yiwei, Bike, and Lishen. Foreign battery cells such as Panasonic, LG, Samsung, and Sony are also well-known and have good performance. The shape of the battery cells also varies, with three options: cylindrical, square, and soft pack. There are two main types of battery cell materials: lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium. There are three types of battery cell quality: A, B, and C. The specifications of battery cells include 18650, 26650, 21700, 14500, 14250, 32650, and so on.

The above are all commonly used types of battery cells, and there are also some that are not commonly used, not knowing what brand, quality, and may even be dismantled, which is what we call refurbished products or low-quality products. The cost of these battery cells is generally not high, so the price of the batteries made is not very expensive. However, there should be a question mark on quality and safety? Do customers really dare to use batteries made from this type of battery cell?

Of course, there are also some customers with special requirements who need to use imported battery cells to meet the equipment's usage needs. But it will be more expensive in terms of cost. Why are imported battery cells more expensive than domestically produced ones? Returning to today's topic, let's take a look at where imported battery cells are expensive? Below, we will list five aspects for analysis and comparison. (For reference only)

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1. Technical roadmap

The technological route in the field of power batteries in China has always been several battery routes, including lithium iron phosphate, ternary, lithium manganese oxide, and lithium iron phosphate. Among them, lithium iron phosphate battery technology is the most mature. The Tesla Model 3, which debuted at the Shanghai Auto Show on July 5, 2018, uses lithium iron phosphate batteries as the power battery. And among them, ternary materials are the most commonly used materials in lithium batteries, accounting for about 70% of the total amount; The other half of the power batteries come from silicon iron phosphate (LiFeNCM811). This technology route has a higher cost compared to other ternary battery technology routes.

2. Raw material cost

The main raw materials in our country include lithium ore, lithium salts, electrolytes, and separators. In terms of lithium ore, China is mainly distributed in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Xizang and Yunnan, among which Xinjiang accounts for more than 70% of the national resource reserves and Qinghai accounts for about 10% of the national resource reserves. Therefore, in the cost of lithium battery raw materials in China, lithium raw materials account for about 20% -30%. Lithium salts mainly include magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, lithium iron phosphate, etc. In terms of electrolytes, China mainly produces electrolytes using lithium batteries from enterprises in countries such as Japan and South Korea. Lithium iron phosphate has a small market share in China, while Japan and South Korea have huge advantages, with 80% of the raw materials required for lithium iron phosphate coming from foreign enterprises.

3. Production cost

For a battery cell, product cost is crucial. But there is also a reason why imported battery cells are expensive. At present, battery manufacturers are also striving to reduce production costs and improve product quality. However, in order for imported battery cells to enter the domestic market, they must pass international certification before they can be sold. Domestic battery cells must undergo international certification to ensure quality and performance meet overseas market standards. Both of these factors have to some extent increased the production cost of batteries.

4. Manufacturing process

The battery manufacturing process includes multiple links such as battery packaging, battery manufacturing, lithium battery testing, battery production and manufacturing, and battery sales, which require a large amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources to complete. Of course, manufacturing processes are also divided into many levels, and each level of process is relatively high, so manufacturing processes are more important. For example, when a battery company uses a ternary lithium-ion battery for charging, it will take a lot of time and human capital from assembly to discharge, and then to energy density testing.

5. Service life

In terms of service life, domestic lithium batteries are nearly 10 years longer than imported lithium batteries. For example, in 2016, Panasonic released the Panasonic TLC3020, which has a capacity of 390 mAh and has been in use for over 30 years, with a decay rate of over 50%. This type of battery is close to being scrapped. And imported lithium batteries are cylindrical lithium batteries with longer lifespan.