What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 420 Route
In the first half of 2013, Silicon Carbon Group released a number of patents related to battery safety, covering materials, structure, protection, and other aspects.

This matter didn't cause much of a stir because Yu Xing announced it at the end of last year, and by this year, it had lost its momentum, since the mainstream of the automotive industry is still the development of gasoline-powered vehicles.

Of course, some industry professionals were also interested in seeing what kind of patent it was.

However, BYD is different. It has already bet on new energy and naturally pays special attention to industry trends. It not only reviewed the patents published by the Silicon Carbon Group as soon as possible, but also conducted relatively systematic research.

The final answer is... Wang Chuanfu's personal trip to Lingang this time.

He was not surprised that President Yu was willing to cooperate, and after reaching a preliminary agreement, he visited the Silicon Carbon Group.

I didn't eat lunch, so I'll still treat you to a meal tonight.

Wang Chuanfu still mentions the choice of Silicon Carbon Group to open up its patents, expressing much praise in his words.

“We believe it will ultimately benefit us, it just might take a little longer,” Yu Xing said with a smile. “There were also objections to this decision within the company last year, but I mentioned a small matter at the time.”

Wang Chuanfu waited with great interest for the next installment.

"I developed a habit of jogging in the morning when I was in school, but at first I hesitated to go out for a run because my roommate didn't like running, and I felt a bit out of place on my own," Yu Xing said with a smile. "Later I tried running a few times and met other people who also liked running. Since then we've become running buddies."

He raised his glass and laughed, "If our Silicon Carbon Group hadn't done that, Mr. Wang wouldn't be sitting here today. This is a collaboration we never expected last year."

Wang Chuanfu nodded and drank the wine.

He was quite familiar with the whole story of Yu Xing's entry into the new energy industry. He had talked about it when he was a guest on Yu Xing's talk show, but he really didn't expect that Yu Xing would actually do it.

Moreover, they are targeting the luxury car segment.

Yu Xing chatted for a while longer and then asked a question: "Mr. Wang, to be honest, although we have opened up our patents, I am really surprised that BYD is coming to cooperate like this. How did you discuss this on your side?"

Wang Chuanfu simplified the internal discussion process at BYD, replying: "BYD has been subjected to a lot of ridicule and sarcasm when it comes to new energy. We thought that it would be much better if we could share the ridicule and sarcasm with the Silicon Carbon Group."

Yu Xing burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Leaving aside LeEco with its ulterior motives and scammers using its name to run Ponzi schemes, there are indeed not many new energy partners at this stage, and cooperation within everyone's capabilities is quite good.

The dinner was a great success, with everyone sharing their thoughts and observations on technology and the market.

After dinner, Wang Chuanfu and Yu Xing sat by the car, smoking and talking about a slightly sensitive topic.

"Mr. Yu, are the batteries you use from CATL? You're not sourcing them from Japan anymore? CATL is working on ternary lithium batteries, right?"

“We asked Panasonic a long time ago, but they have an exclusive agreement with Tesla and can’t buy it,” Yu Xingxian answered, then hesitated for two seconds before saying, “CATL is researching ternary lithium batteries, but we’re not sure yet.”

Wang Chuanfu's expression shifted, and he asked, "You're unsure... is it that the research and development timeline at CATL is uncertain?"

“CATL makes lithium iron phosphate batteries for BMW, and we’re currently using lithium iron phosphate as well. Their ternary lithium batteries are progressing well, and it seems BMW is requesting CATL to also make ternary lithium batteries for them later,” Yu Xing said cautiously. “The uncertainty lies in the fact that we need to consider CATL’s R&D progress and various other factors when choosing a battery technology route.” He paused, then continued, “We currently lean towards lithium iron phosphate, but battery safety is a systemic project; we need to consider all factors.”

Wang Chuanfu glanced at Yu Xing with some surprise. It seemed that the implication was that if CATL developed ternary lithium batteries, the Silicon Carbon Group would have to consider the options carefully.

Tesla currently uses Panasonic ternary lithium batteries, which have an advantage in energy density compared to lithium iron phosphate batteries, thus affecting the electric vehicle's range. As for other factors...

Yu Xing seemed to know what Wang Chuanfu was thinking, and added with a smile: "We make range-extended vehicles, so range is a factor, but not as demanding as pure electric vehicles, so we have more options in this regard."

Silicon Carbon Group and CATL have some differences in direction on this matter, but they are generally in agreement at present.

Wang Chuanfu thought for a moment, then hummed in agreement and said, "You'll be launching it to the market next year, right?"

Yu Xing shook his head: "If we really want to rush to sell, we can sell next year, but there is still a lot to do. Battery technology is a very important thing. We are not in a hurry. We will refine it as much as possible."

Thinking back to his own experience building cars, Wang Chuanfu remarked, "President Yu, you've caught a lucky break. If we don't start selling next year, won't the investors put a lot of pressure on us?"

“You only realize how much you need to push things once you actually start doing it. If we can do it better, we need to do it even better,” Yu Xing said. “We’re not just one investor; we’re also in talks with overseas funds, so the pressure in that regard isn’t too great.”

Wang Chuanfu nodded, extended his right hand to shake hands with the head of the Silicon Carbon Group, and finally said, "President Yu, call me when it goes on sale, I'll come and support you."

Yu Xing smiled and shook hands, bidding farewell to this unexpected patent collaborator.

BYD's targeted cooperation may bring about a synergistic effect, and this matter has led to a positive outlook on next year's economy, prompting a new discussion about battery R&D budgets on the desk of the president's office at the Silicon Carbon Group.

Battery technology is a very serious issue, and as Yu Xing and Wang Chuanfu discussed, range-extended vehicles can choose lithium iron phosphate batteries by considering factors such as safety and user experience, as long as their range can meet the target.

The current target for pure electric range of the Silicon Carbon Group is 200 kilometers, and the combined range is 800 kilometers. CATL's batteries cannot achieve this yet, and joint investment is needed in this area.

Yu Xing's good mood about the collaboration was quickly extended by the progress of the silicon carbon data project.

The music short video app that Lü Haiying is in charge of has released a beta version.

Although developing this kind of app doesn't involve much technical difficulty, and the key lies in the concept and operation, it's still quite gratifying to be able to try it out so quickly.

"Senior brother, we're considering names. Have you thought about any?" Lu Haiying brought another question.

Yu Xing considered the names TikTok and Musical.ly, but felt that the latter better reflected the characteristics of software at this stage, saying, "It's better to include the 'music' feature, so let's name it around that."

Without even blinking, Lü Haiying asked, "MusVid, how about it? It's an abbreviation of music and video, music + video, which is easy to understand and another easy word to remember."

After a moment's thought, Yu Xing found the reasons sufficient, and MusVid gained approval.

(End of this chapter)