The development of domestic new energy vehicles has driven the synergy between the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. Especially in recent years, it is not uncommon for car companies to jointly develop all-aluminum new energy vehicles. Among them, China's manufacturing enterprises and China's leading industrial aluminum industry leader Zhongwang, in recent years, continue to expand aluminum applications, and join hands with domestic and foreign car companies to expand the new energy vehicle market, with remarkable results.

Experts analyzed that the increasingly in-depth cooperation between car companies and aluminum companies is mainly due to the broad development prospects of the domestic new energy vehicle market. According to the "2018-2023 China New Energy Vehicle Industry Market Prospects and Investment Strategic Planning Analysis Report" issued by the Prospective Industry Research Institute, although the subsidies for new energy sources have begun to decline, in terms of technology, investment and other policy guidance, New energy vehicles still have kinetic energy for steady growth and maintain a compound growth rate of around 40%.

Strong demand for aluminum for new energy vehicles

With the increase in the number of new energy vehicles in the areas of family cars, official vehicles, logistics vehicles and bus passengers, relevant information shows that the annual sales volume of new energy vehicles in China will reach 5% of the total automobile market demand in 2020. The above will increase to about 20% in 2025. In 2030, the annual sales volume of new energy vehicles will continue to increase significantly, surpassing 10 million vehicles.

Taking new energy vehicles as an example, the application of aluminum in new energy auto parts mainly includes body, hub, chassis, anti-collision beam, floor, power battery and seat. Among them, the amount of die-casting parts accounts for about 80%, and the extruded parts and the rolled parts each account for about 10%. Die-casting parts are mainly used for launching machines, wheels, etc. Extrusion parts are mainly used for frame, luggage rack, door beam, etc., and the rolled parts are mainly aluminum plates for the body.

With the further development of aluminum development space for new energy vehicles, it has brought a broad space for development of aluminum enterprises, which further promotes the close cooperation between car companies and aluminum companies. Asia's industrial aluminum extrusion product research and development manufacturer, China Zhongwang has been strengthening cooperation with domestic and foreign car manufacturers. China Zhongwang and Jaguar Land Rover signed a contract to supply aluminum extrusion products directly to Jaguar Land Rover UK as a Tier 1 supplier, officially entering the supply chain of overseas automakers.

In the field of new energy vehicles, as early as November 2016, China Zhongwang participated in the design and manufacture of the Chery New Energy pure electric vehicle small ant eQ1, which became the model of the all-aluminum body in the domestic independent brand. According to the person in charge of China Zhongwang related technology research and development who participated in the project, the small ant eQ1 is a small pure electric vehicle based on the lightweight technology platform of “all-aluminum space architecture + all-composite outer cover”, which fully exerts its own in aluminum. The advantages of alloy product design and manufacturing have created a benchmark product in this new energy vehicle field.

At the same time, the domestic pure electric sports car K50 with all-aluminum skeleton body structure, the aluminum used in the body is provided by China Zhongwang, and in the design stage of the prototype, China Zhongwang participated in the component structure optimization design, material testing, 2D drawings, section improvement, prototype trials, etc.

In addition to joint development of new energy vehicles with Chery and Great Wall Huaguan, China Zhongwang also has technical cooperation with Volvo and BYD. According to the relevant person in charge of China Zhongwang, the Group's automotive business unit covers a wide range of business, including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, special vehicles, from body-in-white to assembly, to parts and components, and even raw materials for parts and components.

Passenger cars join new energy layout to further enhance aluminum application space

In fact, in addition to new energy vehicles, buses have begun to join the new energy layout. According to industry analysts, the aluminization rate of the body, four-door two-cover, bumper, anti-collision beam, heat exchange system, chassis system, power battery box and motor casing parts will be greatly improved in the future.

Industry experts predict that by 2020, the target of promotion and application of new energy vehicles in the transportation industry will reach a total scale of 600,000 units. According to the relevant budget and assessment, new energy buses will occupy half of them.

In the face of the increase in demand for aluminum for new energy buses, China Zhongwang has already laid out its layout in this field. As early as 2014, China Zhongwang successfully designed and manufactured all-aluminum new energy buses for Brilliance buses at the beginning of its product and process design team. China Zhongwang has independently completed the main production links from design and development, material supply to large component welding. The company has thus become an aluminum processing enterprise capable of independently designing and manufacturing all-aluminum new energy passenger car bodies.

At the beginning of 2018, Zhongwang made new breakthroughs in the research and development of all-aluminum new energy buses. The city bus project, which was developed in cooperation with FAW and adopting “all-aluminum body + all-aluminum chassis”, successfully passed the road test of FAW. The project not only compensates for the blank of aluminum alloy in chassis application, but also makes Zhongwang an aluminum processing enterprise capable of independently designing and manufacturing “all-aluminum body + all-aluminum chassis”.

At present, in the passenger car field, China Zhongwang has cooperated with many manufacturers such as Huachen Bus (Dalian) Co., Ltd., FAW Bus, Huanghai Bus and Xiamen Golden Brigade to jointly develop new energy all-aluminum buses. The former person in charge of China Zhongwang said that in the future, Zhongwang will continue to strengthen cooperation with car manufacturers in the field of passenger cars and commercial vehicles, and jointly develop new energy all-aluminum body cars and buses, in green, environmental protection and In the light environment, the new energy all-aluminum car will usher in a broad development prospect.