In 2004, Suzhou Star Constant Power Limited ("Constant Star"), Xiao Bin, general manager of memory, is very painful year. Wake up every day, he stood before the mirror ask yourself: "Why am I going to work?"
Then newly established Star constant, self-built production line, coating machine all the way from the copper foil on a fold, like newspapers, not to do in the paper battery. "In the beginning, our products, only 20% qualified."
4 years, more than 100 million yuan of investment, Constant Star, "millet plus rifles," the initial approach, finally recognized by the market, this production of vehicle determined to take the lead battery business to open gaps in the field of electric bicycles, now became a domestic largest manufacturers of dell inspiron 6000 battery power.
Solve the "two wheel reel" Star constant problem formally as the "four wheel reel" forward battery powered. The recent news of Buffett's capital injection to Xiao Bin BYD are mixed feelings: "This shows that we were entering a very promising industry, but Buffett's equity to our more than 100 billion annual sales BYD, the financial strength to generate a gap. "
The three scientists and sing the story of constant
Then known as the domestic development of superconducting how scientists Quan Chen did not think you will use more than 20 years since the effort to pay attention to car batteries. In the last century, he studied in Germany during the 70s decided to open the domestic lithium battery research, but until 1994, Institute of Physics really established the basis of power lithium battery technology.
In 1996, Dr. Huang Xuejie reading in the Netherlands to become a key figure in this research team. The ideals of scientists, determined to have been carried out to the ten years of scientific research results into practical productivity.
Initially due to inadequate funding, Huang Xuejie with their teacher Quan Chen, had to personally handling equipment, two thick hemp rope broke one, but for another technology officer pounced to withstand it, more than 600 kilograms of equipment would be from drop it down the middle stairs lead to disastrous consequences.
In 1999, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences of the match, Huang Xuejie introduced Chengdu Diao Group 30 million yuan investment, the establishment of the Beijing Star constant company. Beijing has tried to sing Hang cell phones, computers provide a small battery, but the industrialization process was not smooth.
In 2001, the national "863 Program" on the electric vehicle major projects, as was the voice of the high nickel-metal hydride batteries to lithium batteries, represented by constant star sent almost no voice. Quan Chen academicians found the whole group when he was head of Wan Gang: "to give lithium a space, otherwise it will be a historic mistake." Who later became Minister of experts against all the odds, to the constant star an opportunity and persuaded his star power constant introduced to the fuel. Even now, Star has been constant and the fuel power to maintain a close co-operation - the fuel power to power the vehicle platform, Star constant for the battery, before they join forces for the 20 Olympic Passat leading hybrid car guide Yu provides the entire power system. Currently, Star is also a SAIC constant "new energy vehicles plan" an important part.
In 2003, the association invested 82 million yuan capital injection, to the Huang Xuejie new hope. This year, Lenovo and other units of Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly set up a constant power supply, Ltd. Suzhou Star.
Star Hang from the "four wheel reel" to "two wheel reel", the middle of the famous scientist Zuoxiu the credit. The famous scientist once received a gift is a motorized bicycle, this group of cell phone use is a small lithium battery in series. Huang Xuejie told him that the risk of battery explosion, can not be used. Then he burned with a laboratory beaker made out of materials given to how a group of old battery.
At that time a small lithium battery technology is mature, has been in volume production for many years, widely used in mobile phones and computers, and lithium battery power supply to the vehicle due to the mission and remained at the laboratory stage.
Zuoxiu told Huang Xuejie: "You should first give a bike made the battery, and then wondering what the car battery." Careless phrase can not find the words to the positive for the industrial purpose, Huang Xuejie polished spark - car batteries to protect 10 million km, use 100 block of individual cells; while only 10,000 km bicycle battery requirements, only about 10 single cells. Been engaged in research of people know that this will greatly reduce the difficulty and cost of development. Thus, Suzhou Star Hang on to determine the birth of this new target.
The largest supplier of power lithium battery
Second interview, Xiao Bin are eating the noodles, while in full flight, fear not miss the next appointment.
Xiao Bin was born in 1975, is a rabbit, in the stars Hang this investment, he better than rabbit less to worry about. It also makes him look mature than their peers.
One day in late 2004, Bin Xiao and Huang Xuejie nest in the Institute of Physics into the night, Huang Xuejie suddenly blurting: "I believe the Chinese people will certainly make a car battery. This must be our mission." Xiao Bin was said He is to be the words "mislead" into the star constant.
Xiao Bin as "a piece of wood" to describe the original plant. A huge "home-made" machine, even outside the package of zinc metal is not smooth, the little girl next to a group of gestures with a knife, others by hand in the play with some of the white plastic cover and the like.
Lenovo shareholder investment in the project are perturbed. Production of the time pushed back a quarter of a quarter, on account of funds quietly turned into piles of waste batteries, but the speed is increasing. Even if the count of each piece of waste batteries are a group of bicycle battery also costs 5,000 ~ 6,000 yuan, an electric bike at a time when the price of not more than 2,500 yuan.
Xiao Bin recalled that in order for my colleagues feel, "I stand with them," he was to the factory every day, but then every day like the "suffering", because Xiao Bin did not understand the technology, he was anxious, but also so do not be put into effect.
The summer of 2005, an electric bicycle factory in Wuxi just end up with a nickel-hydrogen battery co Star Constant willing to try the power lithium battery.
And nickel-cadmium, lead-acid battery compared to lithium environmental protection, long life, the same volume capacity of the battery lead acid battery is 1 / 5, the latter weighing only 1 / 3, but the disadvantage is that price is the former 4 times (currently to 2.5 times), and has never been used. Despite the constant star first got the world's most stringent UL safety certification, this is still the general manager of Wuxi companies do not trust, deliberately went to Suzhou, Wuxi Star Hang from an afternoon sitting, staring at their safety testing done.
"Li-ion battery technology for electric vehicle electric bikes," Star constant of this strategy was quickly recognized by the market in 2007, sold millions of batteries. The nation's largest electric bike company about a new day told reporters, using the star constant battery current price of 3,000 yuan more than a bike, battery bike higher than normal at about 1,000 yuan, while higher prices, but growing rapidly.
In 2007, two varieties of tool battery to enter the market, 60% of bicycle battery indirect export, the company value of 9,000 million, and finally achieve financial balance. This year the company expects to achieve sales of 200,000 sets of bicycle battery, complete the 20 000 sets of batteries for electric tools, annual production is expected to reach 200 million yuan or so.
Currently, the domestic production of electric bicycles only seven or eight million, out of the environmental protection industry optimistic estimates that this figure should be constant star is 1 million. In addition, constant star is planning to decentralized energy supply and energy storage system storage system, this will be a breakthrough in research and development.
Alternative Thinking in China
The end of 2007, to shareholders led by Legend Capital, in turn 60 million yuan in cash into the Star Hang account. The end of the year, the company management team proposed a bold forecast, a single star in 2010 constant year group will be able to sell millions of batteries for electric bikes. Until this time, the main founder of Constant Star, chief scientist Huang Xuejie was a sigh of relief, will focus on energy research and development turned to the car battery.
But the problem still lies across the front. Car battery is not just a business matter, which involves universal charging station, changes in consumption concept and motive power technologies, such as the Olympic guided vehicle cost on more than one million yuan, mainly the high cost of power platform; addition, the current the reliability of power lithium battery still needs to be verified. "No one wants to buy a car after 5 years, to spend a lot of money to buy a new battery." Xiao Bin said.
In addition, the pure battery car, which is the ultimate dream of all automobile giants present transitional hybrid variety has been available. According to industry experts, GM a company spend money on new energy vehicles, that is, the same company in China several times. The domestic BYD, Vientiane and other areas of the company also put up the same banner.
"Start later than others, less money than others, people are not necessarily smarter than others, this time to mention high-profile than the goal of these companies also want to use a 'Great Leap Forward' way to impulse, is unrealistic." Xiao Bin, said very cool-headed analysis.
Statistics show that less than 20% of the scientific and technological achievements into the project to succeed. After 4 years of exploration, Xiao Bin that the successful experience of constant stars is full of scientists and technicians the advantage of relatively low cost. Compared with foreign and domestic scientists, technicians, income is only one-fifth or less of the former. If Sanyo, Sony, Panasonic and other advantages of strong capital and R & D history, the domestic battery factory in China to exploit cheap labor, Star Hang like to take full advantage of low-cost Chinese brain.
Currently employs more than 550 satellite constant, only 300 workers, the rest are technicians and management. They insist on independent development and self-design, over 40% of the equipment developed. Binding mechanism is also in the interests of business to strengthen the relationship between people and enterprises. Shareholders come up with nearly 20% of the shares to incentive management team and key employees, as Lenovo's founder asked Xiao Bin Liu: "The must be made at the time gave no, or no effect."
In addition, Xiao Bin believes that the future of the automotive battery manufacturers, like IT sector than the current Intel, do not need to produce cars, it should insist that the star constant current open to all car manufacturers research and development orientation, rather than trying to everything.
The future of pure electric vehicle, Xiao Bin's views with the outside world, let him think that pure electric vehicle system actually is simpler than the hybrid. "The traditional mechanically-driven vehicle, which led to the traditional auto manufacturers lack of understanding of electricity, but to break the existing order, change the current production system for them would be a very painful and costly things, therefore, Basically, the traditional manufacturers of electric cars a lack of revolutionary power, the future of electric cars is likely to be unknown now private entrepreneurs can do certain things, such as Taiwan, some people are doing now cottage car These local forces can not be ignored. "
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