CONTEMPORARY Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s biggest maker of electric vehicle batteries, has opened the first new energy experience center in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, yicai.com quoted a senior official of the firm as saying. With the center, CATL also announced its after-sales service brand NING Service. With a network of 112 professional service stations and a robust training system, it provides quality services, including battery maintenance, regular checks, and mobile rescue services. “Some people would think that CATL will start selling cars,” vice chairman Li Ping said at the center’s opening ceremony last week. “We won’t manufacture or sell cars. NING Space is a platform that connects players of the electric car industrial chain, particularly carmakers.” Word of NING Space’s opening quickly sparked speculations about CATL’s future business plans, given that the firm’s direct clients are not end consumers. NING Space is the world’s first brand pavilion of electric vehicles (EVs), covering 13,000 square meters. It parades nearly 100 models from around 50 brands, bringing a never-ending auto show to visitors with a full collection of the most popular models. The center aims to help automakers showcase their vehicles, and assist consumers in selecting the right cars, said Luo Jian, general manager of CATL’s marketing department. CATL, traditionally a firm targeting business clients, has now set its sights on the consumer market by making moves such as helping automakers sell their cars and providing after-sales services for EV batteries. These are not CATL’s first attempt at a “to-consumer” strategy. It began to spend generously on outdoor advertisement, including in high-speed rail stations, in the second half of last year. Its slogan, “choosing EVs equipped with CATL’s batteries,” also appeared during commercial breaks of major sports events, including the European Soccer Championship and the Summer Olympics. CATL’s chairman Zeng Yuqun also attended the launch event of the Stelato S9, a luxury electric sedan co-developed by Huawei Technologies and Bluepark New Energy Technology, to recommend the firm’s batteries to car consumers Aug. 6. Recognition by end consumers helps suppliers like CATL to boost sales to business clients, as end consumers are the ones who make purchase decisions, said Yu Qingjiao, secretary-general of the Zhongguancun New Battery Technology Innovation Alliance, as quoted by Yicai. Many suppliers, including the U.S. chipmaker Intel, have also invested in brand building in the “to-consumer market.” Although CATL still holds the largest EV battery market share, it faces rivals’ price competition and pressure from a recent trend of automakers using their self-developed batteries, Yu said. The company is trying to create a moat by winning over consumers and establishing it as the premium battery brand. CATL’s market share in China climbed to 46.5% in the first seven months of the year from 43.1% a year earlier, while use of its EV batteries reached 112.7 gigawatt-hours, according to the latest figures published by the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance. Its global market shares rose 2.1 points to 37.8% in the first half from a year ago, data from South Korean battery and energy research firm SNE Research showed.(SD-Agencies) | 