Chapter 637 - 455: The 35 Billion Hua Yuan Deal, Initial Victory! Fleecing the Lighthouse Country

In a bright and spacious conference hall at the Zhuxianzhuang Science and Technology Park.

The moment Chen Yansen finished speaking, a dead silence fell. Everyone looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

In their eyes, the young man in the main seat, though exuding a heavy aura of power, had not yet completely shed his youthful look. Yet, the words he spoke were incredibly domineering.

The implication was clear: the highest bidder wins. Whoever offered the highest price would get priority purchasing rights.

As for those with insufficient funds, they would just have to wait.

This scene felt extremely familiar to them.

In the past, companies like Mountain Star, LG, Panasonic, and BMW had displayed the same kind of aggressive posture when dealing with their Hua Country partners.

But now that the same strong-arm tactics were being used on them, they truly understood how frustrating it felt.

Yamada Yuuki narrowed his eyes. He wanted to stand and rebut several times, but after glancing at the expressions of the representatives from Mountain Star, LG, and Tesla, he helplessly pressed his hands on his legs and didn’t dare to move.

Though Sun Rongzhen from Mountain Star, Herbert from BMW, and Peter Carlson from Tesla were furious, they were also keenly aware of how important the Deep Blue Battery was to their respective companies.

Their expressions remained normal, not daring to show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

Watching this unfold, Wang Chuanfu from BYD and Zeng Yuqun from Ningde Era were secretly delighted. They had paid no small amount in patent fees to battery companies from the Japanese and the Lighthouse Country.

Although the two were also trying to gradually reduce the proportion of patent fees through cross-licensing, they still couldn’t produce their own diaphragms and high-purity electrolyte additives, forcing them to bow to the whims of foreign companies.

"Old Gao, let’s begin," Chen Yansen instructed Gao Weilin.

He knew this group had already conducted their own tests on energy density and utilization rates—perhaps even puncture, crush, and high-temperature tests—but the official procedures couldn’t be skipped.

It was better for everyone to let some things go unsaid.

The lights in the hall dimmed. Gao Weilin nodded, adjusted his tie, and strode onto the stage.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend Deep Blue Technology’s procurement negotiation meeting. Today, I am going to present a technological breakthrough that will completely change the landscape of the energy sector—the high-density lithium-sulfur battery!"

Gao Weilin introduced it methodically.

On the LED screen behind him, the striking figure of 600 watt-hours per kilogram immediately appeared.

Seeing this, Peter Carlson turned to glance at Yamada Yuuki. The 18650 batteries Tesla procured from Panasonic cost 250 US Dollars per kilowatt-hour, which was lower than the prices offered by competitors in Europe and America, but their energy density was only 160 watt-hours per kilogram.

Factoring in degradation and loss, the energy density of the Deep Blue Battery was nearly three times that of the Panasonic Battery.

Once the Tesla Model S was equipped with the Deep Blue Battery, it would reverse the company’s sales trend in the North American Region, turn a profit, and drive the stock price to new heights.

The only question was, what was the standard selling price for the Deep Blue Battery?

If it was five or ten times higher, even Tesla couldn’t afford it.

Gao Weilin clicked the remote to switch to a test video and continued, "This means that for the same weight, an electric car’s range can be increased by 160% to 180%, and a smartphone’s battery life can be boosted two to three times."

He deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping over the representatives before continuing, "The Deep Blue Battery has been specially treated and can retain 80% of its capacity after 1,000 charge cycles."

"President Gao, excuse me, but what is Deep Blue’s price per kilowatt-hour for power batteries?"

Peter Carlson couldn’t help but raise his hand and interrupt Gao Weilin.

Generally speaking, the basis for pricing differs depending on the application.

For Electric Vehicle batteries, the main factors are capacity, type, and brand, with a focus on balancing cost and capacity;

For mobile phone and digital camera batteries, it’s about energy density, size constraints, and manufacturing precision, with a focus on miniaturization, safety, and compatibility.

And for automotive power batteries, which Peter Carlson was asking about, the emphasis is more on energy density, total energy, cycle life, and safety.

Gao Weilin looked at Peter, then glanced at Chen Yansen. Seeing his boss give a slight nod, he stated, word by word, "Four hundred US Dollars per kilowatt-hour."

Taking the 60 kWh standard version of the Model S as an example, the cost of using a Panasonic 18650 battery pack is 15,000 US Dollars. Switching to the Deep Blue Battery would cost 24,000 US Dollars.

It might seem 9,000 US Dollars more expensive, but the user experience would be on a completely different level.

A 60 kWh Deep Blue Battery weighs about 100 kilograms, while the current battery in the standard Model S weighs 420 kilograms.

First, it reduces the vehicle’s weight, which lowers overall energy consumption. The actual range could be 10%-20% greater than with the 420-kilogram battery pack, creating a virtuous cycle of "high energy density → lighter weight → lower energy consumption → longer range";

Second, with less weight on the suspension, the steering becomes more agile, there’s less body roll when cornering, and acceleration and braking responses are quicker.

Finally, a lighter battery pack puts less strain on the chassis, suspension, and tires, which can reduce wear and tear on chassis components, extend the vehicle’s lifespan, and lower post-sale maintenance costs.

Furthermore, it improves space utilization. A smaller battery pack means more headroom and a larger trunk, increasing cargo capacity.

Looking at it another way, if the battery pack weight were increased to 300 kilograms, the range could exceed 1,200 kilometers; at 400 kilograms, it would reach 1,600 kilometers. The customer’s range anxiety would be completely resolved.

Of course, at the Deep Blue Battery’s price, the cost for a 400-kilogram battery pack alone would be 96,000 US Dollars.

At this thought, both Peter Carlson and Wang Chuanfu couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

The Deep Blue Battery was great, but it was also incredibly expensive!

Sitting in the audience, Chen Yansen smiled faintly. His cost per kilowatt-hour was a mere 140 US Dollars, but that didn’t stop him from selling it for 400.