Ren Zeping, a famous economist, posted on social media today, saying, “The world has been suffering for a long time. In recent years, the CATL has been fighting on all sides, which has attracted widespread attention. It has suppressed competitors, coerced car companies, and squeezed up downstream profits.”
Ren Zeping said that there is a saying in the new energy industry, “The king of the world is suffering for a long time”, which reflects the long-term general difficulties and dissatisfaction of the industry, and also reflects the CATL from the early innovation leader and contributor to the later industry monopoly Even the destroyer of the market’s fair competition ecology, this transformation process is painful, regrettable, and regrettable.
Ren Zeping pointed out that there are two kinds of results when a company grows bigger. One is general respect and admiration in the industry, and there are many good cases; the other is fear and dissatisfaction, such as the current CATL.
Ren Zeping believes that the CATL should not be greedy for the achievements of the sky. In recent years, my country’s new energy industry has ushered in explosive growth. This is the result of the joint superposition of new energy technology revolution, long-term support of national policy strategies, scientists’ innovation, and entrepreneurs’ hard work. It is not simple. The result of “gambling strong”. Don’t be praised too much by the market, CATL really thinks he is the “King”. “As a beneficiary of the times and a leading enterprise in the industry, we must establish correct values and have the responsibility to maintain a good industry ecology, instead of bullying the weak, morality does not match, the so-called one flower alone is not spring. To be a boss, you must look like a boss, and has the pattern and mind of the boss, which is lacking in the current CATL, and I hope it can be improved.”
Ren Zeping said that when a company grows bigger, it must be a prophet of innovation, a beacon of values, a defender of the industry’s fair competition ecology, and a promoter of social progress, instead of being arrogant, monopolistic, bullying, self-inflated, and lawless. , ignoring industry regulation. If virtue is not coordinated, it will be backlashed, and it is not too late to make up for it.
Ren Zeping also suggested that all walks of life and regulatory authorities pay attention to two key issues: First, whether the CATL involves suppressing competitors with controversial and problematic patents. The second is whether the CATL involves monopoly and unfair competition, using industry status to suppress competitors, and using some means to coerce downstream new energy car companies.
As the leader of domestic power batteries, CATL has occupied nearly half of the domestic market share since 2017. But starting in 2022, the market share of CATL began to decline. According to data from the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance, CATL’s market share will drop from 52.1% in 2021 to 48.02% in the first 11 months of 2022.
It is worth mentioning that Zeng Qinghong, chairman of GAC Group, once complained at the 2022 World Power Battery Conference: “Power batteries account for 40% to 60% of the cost of a complete vehicle, and the price is still rising. Work?” Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, responded: “The capital speculation of upstream raw materials has brought short-term troubles to the power battery industry chain, and the prices of lithium battery upstream materials such as lithium carbonate, lithium hexafluorophosphate, and petroleum coke have skyrocketed.”
