In recent years, the new energy automobile industry has developed at an amazing speed, and its achievements have become a distinctive footnote of the transformation and upgrading of the automobile industry. It is not difficult to find that the prosperity of new energy vehicles is the result of the two-wheel drive of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Pure electric vehicles lead the market with their advantages of zero emissions and low cost of use, while plug-in hybrid vehicles rapidly rise as the new darling of the market with their advantages of taking into account driving range and fuel economy, and become an important force to promote the growth of the new energy market.

 

The rise of plug-in hybrid vehicles brings both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, the popularity of plug-in hybrid vehicles helps to alleviate consumers' anxiety about driving range, accelerate the increase of market penetration of new energy vehicles, and lay the foundation for the comprehensive electrification process. The maturity and application of plug-in hybrid vehicles also provide a smoother transition path for traditional car companies to transform to new energy vehicles, and promote the transformation and upgrading of the entire industry. On the other hand, the rapid development of plug-in hybrid vehicles may also delay the popularization of pure electric models to a certain extent, because some consumers may choose plug-in hybrid vehicles as a transition solution, rather than directly switching to pure electric models.

 

Recently, plug-in hybrid vehicles continue to increase, some people jokingly "the end of new energy vehicles or internal combustion engines." Why is this happening? What about the consumer shift from pure electric vehicles to plug-in hybrids? Is this shift a short-term phenomenon or a long-term trend? This is not only a concern of enterprises, but also a problem worth thinking about in the industry.

 

 

Plug-in hybrid cars shine brightly

 

BMW's new M5, equipped with a 4.4T V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain, not only combines the power of traditional fuel with the green and efficient integration of electric technology, providing unprecedented flexibility and convenience for daily commuting and long-distance travel. Jietu Automobile will inject new vitality into the market Shanhai L7, and its 1.5T plug-in hybrid system shows the profound accumulation of independent brands in the field of plug-in hybrid technology. Byd Dynasty series of the latest MPV - "summer", BYD's latest plug-in hybrid system to a new height.

 

In recent years, more and more car companies have chosen to release pure electric and plug-in hybrid models to enrich their product lines and meet the diversified needs of consumers. According to statistics, in recent years, the number of new car releases of plug-in models has shown a rapid growth trend, and the new release of extender-range models has also increased year by year, showing the market's strong interest in and high recognition of hybrid technology.

 

It is worth noting that the number of hybrid new cars is not only increasing, its price range is also rapidly improving, and gradually moving toward the high-end market. This trend not only reflects the value of hybrid technology and the market demand for consumption upgrading, but also injected new impetus into the diversified development of the new energy vehicle market. Looking forward to the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the continuous expansion of the market, hybrid technology is expected to play a more important role in the field of new energy vehicles, and promote the development of the entire industry to a more green, efficient and sustainable direction.

 

The internal combustion engine is alive and well

 

In recent years, with the gradual adjustment of new energy vehicle subsidy policies, the market pattern has quietly changed, and hybrid technology has risen rapidly with its unique advantages, becoming a new star in the field of new energy vehicles. Since 2022, hybrid vehicles have shown a strong momentum of growth, diversified development of technical routes, extend-range, plug-in hybrid and gas-electric hybrid and other modes, sales continue to rise, although there is still a gap with pure electric models in the total, but its growth rate is far higher than the latter, showing a huge market potential.

 

Statistics show that in 2022, the sales volume of pure electric vehicles reached 5.365 million, an increase of 81.6%, while plug-in hybrid vehicles achieved an astonishing 151.6% year-on-year growth rate with the sales volume of 1.518 million, which is far higher than that of pure electric models. This trend will be further consolidated and amplified in 2023. Data show that the cumulative sales of new energy vehicles in 2023 reached 8.864 million, an increase of 36.3%. Among them, the sales volume of pure electric vehicles was 6.113 million, up 21.9%; The plug-in hybrid vehicles achieved a rapid growth of 85.1% with a cumulative wholesale volume of 2.751 million vehicles, accounting for 23% of the new energy wholesale market, and extended range models also contributed 8% of the market share, jointly supporting the prosperity of the new energy vehicle market.

 

In the face of the rapid development of hybrid cars, Tianjin University professor Yao Chunde in-depth analysis of the motivation behind it. He pointed out that the withdrawal of new energy subsidy policies has made pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid bus stations on the same starting line, and the market competition is more intense; At the same time, the problems faced by pure electric vehicles such as imperfect charging facilities and energy anxiety provide a broad space for the development of hybrid vehicles, making them the new darling of the market.

 

The surge in market demand has naturally led to fierce competition between car companies. In order to compete for the share of the hybrid market, car companies are not only fighting on the model design and price strategy, but also launching a new round of racing on the efficiency of internal combustion engines. Leading companies such as GAC Group, Chery Group, Dongfeng Corporation and BYD have announced major breakthroughs in their internal combustion engine technology to reduce fuel consumption and improve performance by improving thermal efficiency, gaining a favorable position in the fierce market competition.

 

The core value of hybrid is transition

 

When car companies have thrown themselves into the internal combustion engine efficiency race, many questions and concerns have emerged in society, which seems to indicate that hybrid technology is moving along the old road of fuel vehicles, and may even hinder the electrification process of new energy vehicles. However, Yao Chunde's insights provide us with a new perspective, he stressed that hybrid technology is actually a bridge to the transition of fuel vehicles to electrification, and its existence and development is not only contrary to the goal of electrification, but is a key part of achieving comprehensive electrification.

 

Yao Chunde pointed out that the internal combustion engine as the core of the traditional power system, its technological improvement does not mean retrogression, but an important support in the transformation process. The hybrid technology realizes the optimization and upgrading of the power system through the cooperative work of the internal combustion engine and the motor, which not only retains the driving advantage of the fuel vehicle, but also integrates the environmental protection characteristics of the pure electric vehicle. This "oil-electric balance" approach is the best choice for both fuel economy and environmental performance under current technical conditions.

 

He further explained that the development of hybrid technology is not simply the pursuit of improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines, but the optimization of control logic and strategy. An excellent hybrid power system requires the perfect match between the motor and the internal combustion engine, as well as the accurate judgment and regulation of the vehicle driving state. Therefore, the research and development of hybrid technology not only involves the innovation of internal combustion engine technology, but also includes the comprehensive improvement of battery management, energy recovery, intelligent control and other fields.

 

Zhang Hong, secretary-general of the new energy Vehicle branch of the China Automobile Circulation Association, and Cao Guangping, partner of the driver Consulting, also hold a similar view. They believe that plug-in hybrid vehicles have a unique advantage in the current stage, which can effectively balance the contradiction between range anxiety, use scenarios and battery prices. Before a major breakthrough in power battery technology, plug-in hybrid vehicles will continue to coexist with pure electric vehicles to meet the diversified needs of the market.

 

Cao Guangping pointed out that hybrid technology is in a "window period, rising period, remedial period, golden period", its development prospects are broad and may last for a long time. He stressed that the full popularization of pure electric vehicles still faces many technical bottlenecks and challenges, and hybrid technology provides a practical solution for this transition stage.

 

Yao Chunde is optimistic about the future of hybrid technology, but he also admitted that how long the transition period of hybrid technology will last still depends on the breakthrough speed of battery technology and the improvement of charging facilities. When car charging becomes as convenient and efficient as refueling, it may be the moment when hybrid technology completes its historical mission and the era of full electrification officially arrives. Until then, hybrid technology will continue to play its unique advantages and contribute to the prosperity and development of the new energy vehicle market.

 

Originally published by China Automotive News, September 23, 2024