
The production and sales of China's automobile industry recovered rapidly at both ends. In May, the domestic automobile production and sales were 1.926 million and 1.862 million, respectively, with a month on month increase of 59.7% and 57.6%, respectively, and a year-on-year decrease of 5.7% and 12.6%. At the same time, the production and sales data of new energy vehicles showed a bright performance. In May, the production and sales of new energy vehicles were 466000 and 447000, up 49.5% and 49.6% month on month, 114.8% and 106% year on year, respectively. From January to May, the sales of new energy vehicles increased 112.7% year on year, which was still outstanding under the impact of the epidemic.
The urgent need for lightweight new energy vehicles is the key driving force for the growth of aluminum demand for automobiles. According to the data of the International Aluminum Association, about 80% of the energy consumption is related to the vehicle mass, so vehicle lightweight has become one of the main technical routes for automobile manufacturers to save energy and reduce emissions. In terms of fuel vehicles, a 10% reduction in vehicle weight can increase the fuel saving rate by 7% and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3%. In terms of new energy vehicles, a 10% reduction in body weight can reduce 5% of power consumption and increase 10% of driving range. The significant improvement of driving range makes the lightweight technology more efficient in the application of new energy vehicles. According to the data of DuckerFrontier, in 2020, the aluminum consumption of non pure electric vehicles will be 206kg, and that of pure electric vehicles will be 292kg, 42% higher than that of non pure electric vehicles. While new energy vehicles such as Weilai ES8 and Tesla Model S have adopted all aluminum body, most of other new energy vehicles have also adopted steel aluminum hybrid body structure.
Under the trend of lightweight, the aluminum consumption of single vehicle in China continues to grow. According to the Assessment Report on Aluminum Use in China's Automotive Industry (2016-2030) released by the International Aluminum Association in 2019, the aluminum consumption per vehicle of traditional fuel vehicles, pure electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles in China will reach 179.8kg, 226.8kg and 238.3kg respectively in 2025, an increase of 51%, 77% and 33% respectively compared with 2018. There is still much room for aluminum consumption per vehicle.
UHV is an important way for new energy power transmission to the east, and new energy infrastructure investment is overweight. In recent years, clean energy has been vigorously built in the west of China. As an important way to transmit new energy power to the east, ultra-high voltage power grid has become the key construction direction of national new energy infrastructure. During the "Fourteenth Five Year Plan" period, the State Grid planned to build the "24 AC and 14 DC" ultra-high voltage project, involving more than 30000 kilometers of lines, with a total investment of 380 billion yuan, an increase of 35.7% over the "Thirteenth Five Year Plan" ultra-high voltage investment. In 2021, the accumulative value of completed investment in power grid infrastructure projects will reach 495.1 billion yuan, up 1.1% year on year. By the end of April 2022, the accumulative value of completed investment in power grid infrastructure projects is 89.3 billion yuan, up 4.7% year on year, and the investment in ultra-high voltage power grids has accelerated.