State power grid decentralization: Charging station learning gas station to make semi-market

After five years of monopoly of electric vehicles, the State grid finally let go of the national two sessions, allowing the social capital to compete with the national network and invest in the construction of electric power facilities.

"For new energy companies in the market to promote products is a very good, more money and competitors to enter, charging facilities construction and charging services will improve." Li Yunfei, deputy general manager of BYD Auto Sales company, said March 17.

The construction of charging facilities is huge, and even the giants such as the National Grid and the Southern power grid can not do much to build. "Because the investment charging station is difficult to gain in the short term, it can be foreseen that capital will not be flooded in the short term, but many investors are bullish on this area." "A Shanghai electric vehicle charging equipment supplier insiders said.

Most investors and new-energy vehicles choose to wait and see, with at least three solutions to dispel their investment ideas: The operating model is unclear; the charging devices are linked to local car companies and cannot be used in general;

However, the new regulation provides a broader scope for new energy vehicle companies to market, and can be implemented in a wide range of household charging areas. BYD, Kai-Chen and other companies in the 21st century economic reports interviewed reporters said that they are actively promoting household charging facilities, in the short term this is the most effective mode.

It's too late to let it go

The State Grid announced the opening of power-and-electricity facilities for two reasons: first, since 2009, the state Grid has been invested five years, the loss of more and more large, most of the charging station has not even really run the second is to respond to the country's monopoly industry reform, so that the market to the allocation of

According to the National New Energy Vehicle Promotion plan, the country network faces the huge task pressure. According to the country's new energy vehicle planning, the task is: 2011-2015, electric vehicle charging station scale reached 4000, synchronized vigorously promote the construction of rechargeable piles; in 2016-2020, the state-net construction of the charging station targets as high as 10000, built complete electric vehicle charging network.

But as of the end of 2013, the national network has been built to replace the power station for 400, AC charging pile 19,000, from the 2015-year target is very remote.

Sales of new energy vehicles have been low in the past few years and huge investments have struggled to return in the short term. In 2013, new energy vehicles sold only 17,600 vehicles, which, in turn, were slow to build, and no place to charge led to the sale of new energy vehicles.

The Shanghai charging equipment supplier insiders believe that the construction of electricity-charging infrastructure should be fully liberalized, "in a sense, the development of China's new energy vehicle is too slow or the mechanism, the power grid monopoly electric equipment construction, not only its own burden, the construction model and no vitality." ”

In the United States, for example, public-charge piles surged by 30% in 2013, and the increase was mainly from social capital, retail stores, department stores, hotels and so on to invest in construction of rechargeable piles. That year, the U.S. plug-in hybrid and pure electric car sales reached 96,000 vehicles.

During the two sessions this year, the National Network chairman Liu said, "who has the money, who want to invest, who voted." However, the charging station mode of operation remains unclear or hinders capital entry. For example, the State network in accordance with the electricity tariff plus service charges to charge the car, but did not specify the specific fee standards, capital can not predict the rate of return on investment.

A number of new energy carmakers, interviewed by the 21st century economic reports, seem unwilling to set foot on their own charging stations, saying they will not enter the area of charging facilities anytime soon.

BYD, for example, has factories that produce rechargeable equipment in its IT business sector, which can provide both direct and alternating current charging devices, but because of the huge investment in charging stations, it is not intended to enter the field in the short term, before it has only supplied charging piles and rechargeable cabinets for the southern grid. "BYD is likely to provide social capital with a business model for charging station operations, charging equipment and car park operations," he said. ”

The Shanghai charging equipment provider has already provided charging piles and charging cabinets in a number of cities, and a charging station includes infrastructure costs, distribution facilities, operating costs, and investment of up to 5 million yuan. "Just like the whole car enterprises do not have the strength to establish a direct network, sales to rely on dealers, the same charge station construction." ”

Short-term home charge transition

Car companies because of the imperfect charging facilities, in the technical more inclined to shorten the home charging time, reduce the reliance on public charging stations. "Family-type charging technology has reached the current level and mobile phone charge almost, plug directly into the home power can be charged, but a long time." ”

Not long ago, baic and the Beijing Electric Power Company reached an agreement, the power company in the future of the installation of charging facilities in particular to support auto, for the private garage of the E150ev owner to build a charging pile. BYD in Shenzhen, Kai-chen in Guangzhou, the glory in Shanghai and other similar treatment.

The construction of electric power system under the grid monopoly period, the non-local car brands, even if the owner bought a new energy vehicle, to be in a private garage charging pile, but also through the local power companies to approve such heavy checkpoints, the process is not easy.

2013, the national network to adjust the idea of the construction of charging equipment, put forward the "leading fast charging, taking into account the slow charge, guide the electricity, economic and practical", the first proposed only to seize the fast-charging business, home slow charge quietly open.

The owner of a pure electric car or plug-in hybrid is quickly changing, "now a lot of places as long as the residential property talks, connect the electricity meter can be charged." Li Yunfei said.

Because the charge is slow, the home charge is the most suitable plug-in hybrid vehicle with small battery capacity. BYD Qin's battery capacity of 13 degrees, installed on the power of 7-kilowatt wall-mounted charger, with home 220V power supply is filled with only 2 hours.

But if the use of home charging equipment for the pure electric vehicle charging, the owner will need to calculate the time. Tesla's battery capacity, for example, is up to 85KWh and takes 40 hours to fill, and BYD E6 to 10 hours, and the E50 and North Steam E150ev are 6-8 hours.

In the public charging facilities can not reach as dense as the gas station before, the pure electric vehicle marketization only disregard the disadvantages of too long charging time to promote. Kai Chen E30 using a slow charge full of electricity needs 8 hours, but Kai-Chen is preparing joint charging equipment enterprises, in Shanghai, Beijing and other place to promote home charging program.

A profit model like a gas station

At present, there are three models for the construction of electric power transfer facilities: One is the purchase of pure electric vehicles, taxis, bus companies to provide charging equipment, in its own site centralized installation; the second is the Southern power grid, the National Grid-led construction; third, there is a certain economic strength of the car owners in the garage to install charge piles or rechargeable cabinets.

Among them, the public power station construction of the main power grid, the electricity grid all over the local government under the impetus to obtain land planning and so on. "Therefore, the construction of charging stations is generally done in three aspects, namely, power grids, local governments and local enterprises." said the power supply equipment supplier insiders.

For example, Kai-chen in Guangzhou to participate in the construction of the charging station, Guangzhou City, the coordination of the Transport Department of Guangzhou Electric Power Company and Dongfeng Nissan: Kai-Chen selected charging pile suppliers to provide fast charging DC charge pile, Guangzhou Electric Power Company provides AC electric charge pile. The potential problem in the future is that the DC-filling piles of these charging stations are only suitable for charging the other electric vehicles of E30 or the Kai Chen brand.

"There is a real problem with the charging pile that only matches the brand, and in Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian and so on, there are similar problems with fast charging piles," he said. "says an insider at a new energy car company.

Beijing plans to complete 1000 public-charge piles in 2014 years. According to the Beijing Science and Technology Commission new Materials and the director of Huecensu, said the fast-charging pile power of 37.5 kilowatts. However, it does not match the fast charging power of most pure electric vehicles on the market. Tesla, for example, began upgrading from 90KWH of charging power from September 2012 onwards, plans to reach 120Kwh in the future, and BYD E6 charging technology with a fast-charge power of 40KWH.

Although some of the charging speed can be adjusted, but the scope of regulation is limited, and participate in the charging station construction enterprises often for market protection rather than sharing. This actually involves another level of protectionism, and if there are other brands of electric vehicles that use the charging pile or charging cabinet, the first thing to do is to nod investors, including local government and car companies.

The above equipment supplier insiders believe that "even if the opening of social capital into the investment of huge charging station construction field, still may be like the construction of a gas station needs more stringent approval of departments." But as long as there is a profit model, the long-term look will be like a gas station to form a dense network. "Because the electricity price is also determined by the National Development and Reform Commission, the future charging station may be the same as the gas station half market operation."