Xiaomi, Li Auto, BYD, Geely Launch Own Batteries as Chinese EV Makers Shift to 'White-Box' Model

Automakers are accelerating their dominance in defining power battery technology. The successive launches of Xiaomi's 'Longjia' battery, Li Auto's 'Qilin 5C', BYD's 'Blade Battery', and Geely's 'Jinzhuan' battery mark automakers' deep involvement in battery research, development, and naming. This trend indicates that power batteries are shifting from the 'grey-box' model on the procurement side of the automotive industry to a 'white-box' model featuring deep automaker participation. Automakers are no longer satisfied with purchasing standardised battery pack solutions; instead, through end-to-end management, they are extending their reach to cell materials, production processes, and even second- and third-tier supply chains, aiming to lead relevant technical standards and quality systems.

Factors driving this shift include the dilemma of product homogenisation, imbalanced profit distribution, and the implementation of new national standards. In this context, original equipment manufacturers are accelerating the recovery of technological leadership over core components from battery suppliers. Behind this automaker-led naming campaign for power batteries lies a restructuring of the new energy vehicle industry around the right to define core components.