Power battery FPC is expected to gradually replace traditional wiring harness solutions

FPC has the advantages of lightness, thinness, high integration, bendable, and can be printed. The scene and demand of new energy vehicle power battery FPC will meet the growth. Flexible circuit board (FPC) is a circuit made of flexible copper clad laminate as a substrate. It can be used as a signal transmission medium and applied to the connection of electronic products. Generally, it can be divided into single-layer FPC, double-layer FPC, and multi-layer FPC. And soft and hard board. With the development of electrification and intelligence of automobiles, the advantages of FPC circuit boards in terms of flexibility, weight reduction, and degree of automation have been further reflected. In the past, there were not many places where FPCs were used for traditional fuel vehicles. The value of bicycles was about US$10. The advantages of FPCs in the era of new energy vehicles have been fully reflected. In scenes such as car lights, the demand for power battery FPC will increase substantially.

In the field of power batteries, FPC flexible boards are mainly used for the replacement of traditional wiring harnesses in the pack link to assist in the collection of battery pack information. Traditional wiring harnesses are mainly made of copper wires wrapped with plastic, and each wiring harness is connected to an electrode. Power battery packs generally require multiple wiring harnesses, which occupies a lot of space. Compared with traditional power battery harnesses, FPC flexible boards have significant advantages in terms of safety, lightweight battery packs, process flexibility, and automated production. In addition, the FPC has the ability to print parts. The FPC integrates NTC, fuses, etc., to monitor the temperature and voltage of the power battery pack in real time, and feedback the collected data to the BMS. When the safety range is exceeded, the fuse of the acquisition board will be blown in time. Ensure the safe and reliable operation of the power battery.

The penetration rate of FPC battery soft boards will continue to increase. With the excellent performance of FPC and the cost reduction and efficiency brought by large-scale production, the trend of FPC to replace traditional wiring harness is becoming more and more obvious. Beginning in 2018, CATL and BYD have begun to apply FPC in batches in the pack link. Now, the FPC solution has become the main choice for new energy vehicles and new models. In the future, with the continuous introduction of new models and the increase in the proportion of new models, FPC batteries The board will have greater penetration and room for development.

With the increase in the amount, value and penetration of power battery FPC bicycles, the market scale is growing rapidly, and it is expected to reach more than 35 billion yuan in 2025. We assume that FPC will gradually replace wiring harnesses in new energy vehicle power batteries, and the penetration rate will increase to 80% in 2025, the value of bicycle FPC will gradually increase from 500 yuan to 1,000 yuan, and the value of bicycle CCS will be 1,000-2,000 yuan. It is estimated that the FPC/CCS market for power batteries for new energy vehicles will be more than 35 billion yuan in 2025, and will reach 80 billion yuan in 2030. The market scale is growing rapidly.

Power battery FPC has higher entry barriers, and traditional FPC manufacturers will still occupy an advantageous supply position. On the one hand, due to the environmental issues involved in electroplating, it is difficult for new entrants to obtain pollution emission indicators. On the other hand, the battery module integrates many components, and the double-layer board and the multilayer board have higher technical difficulties. Long, roll-to-roll technology and investment in new plant equipment are required, and the size and capital of flexible board manufacturers also have certain thresholds. As domestic power battery manufacturers expand production and gradually increase their market share, domestic power battery FPC manufacturers will also expand production capacity and actively deploy automotive electronics, ushering in a broader growth space.