The Zhitong Finance App learned that Guotai Junan Securities published a research report commenting on the smart car integrated technology industry. The team believes that achieving “lightweighting” through integrated technology is an important technological development direction for smart cars to improve battery life and reduce energy consumption. “Body weight” is an important indicator affecting the energy efficiency of automobiles. Reducing vehicle weight through “lightweight” technology can meet the urgent needs of smart cars to increase battery life. Furthermore, integrated batteries will help make the vehicle “lighter” and more economical.
The main ways to achieve vehicle body weight reduction include the three directions of materials, structure, and process. As a comprehensive application of three technical directions, integrated die casting greatly reduces body weight and shortens manufacturing processes, and has become an important technical direction for achieving weight reduction in vehicle manufacturing today. The integrated battery helps reduce the weight of the three-electric system, creating clear advantages in improving battery life, mass production capacity, and reducing manufacturing costs.
The upper, middle and lower reaches of the industry are making concerted efforts, and integrated die-casting expands the potential space for automobile “lightweighting”. Integrated die-casting was first proposed by Tesla, and domestic automakers began large-scale application in 2022. Integrated die casting is based on high pressure die casting, and multiple scattered parts are highly integrated. Through a large die casting machine, there are four main technical barriers: large die casting machines, heat-free materials, die-casting molds, and die-casting process methods. Compared with traditional die casting, integrated die casting replaces the stamping and welding process in the traditional car body manufacturing process, reduces the number of parts required for body manufacturing, improves the reuse of parts, reduces manufacturing personnel and floor space requirements, and makes the car body more integrated, which in turn brings about a lighter and safer car body, higher scale mass production efficiency, and lower manufacturing costs.
Currently, the middle and downstream of the industry chain cooperate in R&D, and automakers' self-development and procurement models go hand in hand. Cooperation and competition coexist between upstream heat-free materials, die-casting machines and mold suppliers, and are increasingly closely linked with midstream die-casters and downstream automakers. Midstream die-casting manufacturers extend their layout upstream, expand downstream cooperation and expand, and deepen the upstream and downstream strategic collaboration system. Downstream automakers have successively deployed integrated die-casting technology, and have now expanded research on forward cabin, middle floor, and lower body assemblies. Integrated die casting applications test the ability to grasp process development and mass production at the manufacturing end, material research and development capabilities, and resource capabilities. Advantages from the supply chain, equipment investment, and material research and development will continue to drive the in-depth application of integrated die-casting technology in China.
Battery manufacturers and automakers are on the same path. Integrated batteries help make vehicles “lighter” and more economical. Power batteries have gone through the 1.0 era of standardized modules, the 2.0 era of large CTP modules, and the 3.0 era of the latest CTC. Starting from improving space utilization, combined with the core requirements of safety and economy, they have advanced at the upper level in the direction of streamlining, integration and integration of battery packs. Currently, the main integrated battery technologies include CTP, CTC, and CTB.
CTP technology integrates the cell directly into the battery pack and gradually enters the mature application stage with product iteration. As represented by the Ningde Era CTP product series and BYD blade batteries, both battery manufacturers and automakers are working hard. CTB technology combines the bottom panel of the car body and the upper case of the battery pack into one. It is an integrated battery cell body technology. CTC technology uses integrated cell stamping and molding on the frame chassis. It is an integrated battery chassis technology. CTC and CTB technology are different directions for the further development of CTP batteries. Automakers lead self-development and design, and will cultivate incremental space and new business opportunities in the industrial chain under technological innovation and mass production capacity progress.
Risk warning: The risk that the overall development of the smart car market falls short of expectations, that progress in integrated technology and mass production fall short of expectations, and that market competition will intensify.