Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

227: Chapter 227 Industry Standard SettersThird: BBC reporter (female, 50, standard British accent)

”Mr. Gu, I’m from the BBC. Your bullet test is impressive, but real-world safety involves more than just punctures. What about overcharging, short circuits, or manufacturing defects? And how do you ensure quality control across millions of batteries?”

The question was sharp, pointing directly to the industry’s pain point—many battery accidents stem from manufacturing defects.

Gu Yanting replied in English: ”Excellent questions. First, overcharging protection: each cell has three layers of protection—voltage monitoring, temperature sensing, and pressure relief valves. Even if all three fail, the semi-solid electrolyte itself prevents thermal runaway.”

He pulled up a video of the factory: ”As for quality control, we’ve built the world’s most automated battery factory in Huizhou. Every cell undergoes 127 tests, from raw material inspection to finished product aging. The defect rate is below 0.01%—that’s 10 times better than the industry average.”

The BBC reporter followed up: ”What about recycling? Lithium-ion batteries contain toxic materials. How does Spark address end-of-life disposal?”

”We’ve developed a closed-loop recycling system.” Gu Yanting showed a flowchart. ”Recovery rate: 95% for lithium, 98% for cobalt and nickel. And the sodium-ion battery we just presented—it’s completely non-toxic and easier to recycle.”

Fourth: The Times reporter (male, 45)

”Mr. Gu, The Times. Two questions: First, what is your annual production capacity, and can it meet global demand? Second, we saw BMW sign a letter of intent for cooperation today. Are European automakers your priority market?”

Gu Yanting looked at the data panel: ”Current capacity: 200GWh per year. Under construction: three new factories totaling 300GWh. By 2020, we will reach 500GWh—enough for 7 million electric vehicles annually.”

”As for market priority... we treat all markets equally. But Europe has strict environmental standards and consumers who value technology—this aligns with Spark’s philosophy. Today we signed with BMW, and we are in talks with Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Renault.”

He added: ”We also plan to build battery factories in Europe—likely in Germany or France. Local production supplies the local market, creates jobs, and reduces transport carbon footprint.”

Fifth: AFP reporter (female, 38)

”Hello, Mr. Gu. I am an AFP reporter. When will Spark electric vehicles enter the European market? What about the price?”

This question made all the automaker representatives perk up.

Gu Yanting switched to French to answer—he was stationed in France while working at Panasonic, so his French was fluent:

”Merci pour votre question. Les véhicules électriques StarFire entreront sur le marché européen en 2018. Nous commencerons par les modèles premium sous la marque Red Flag.”

He pulled up the design drawing of the European version of the Red Flag H7: ”The first model will be the Red Flag H7 electric version, with a range of 1,200 kilometers and 80% charge in 10 minutes. Price: about 80,000 euros—comparable to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but with far superior performance.”

The AFP reporter followed up: ”What about competition with European automakers? Are you here to replace them?”

Gu Yanting smiled: ”No, we are here to cooperate. We provide batteries and drive systems, and European automakers provide design and driving experience. This is a win-win cooperation.”

He concluded in Chinese: ”Spark’s goal is not to replace anyone, but to drive the entire automotive industry toward electrification. We believe that only when the whole industry progresses can consumers truly benefit.”

Just as the host announced the end of the interview, a young reporter suddenly shouted: ”CEO Gu! I am a reporter from The Economic Times of India! India has a population of 1.4 billion, and the electric vehicle market is huge! Will Spark enter India?”

Gu Yanting stopped and turned to answer:

”We attach great importance to the India market. But there are two prerequisites: First, the India government needs to provide a stable policy environment; second, we need to find reliable local partners. If conditions are ripe, Spark will not only sell cars in India but also build factories, just as we did in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.”

He added: ”Furthermore, we will prioritize promoting sodium-ion batteries—they are low-cost, adapt to high-temperature climates, and are very suitable for India.”

This answer was broadcast back to India and hit the headlines in India that night.

After the interview, Gu Yanting left under the escort of security personnel.

Behind him, reporters were still frantically filing their reports.

The BBC reporter summarized in front of the camera: ”Today we witnessed a historic breakthrough in battery technology. Even more shocking is Spark’s global vision—they are not working behind closed doors, but sharing technology with global partners. This perhaps represents a new paradigm for Chinese tech companies: open, cooperative, and win-win.”

And the automaker giants have already begun to urgently adjust their strategies.

Tesla CEO Musk said to his assistant: ”Cancel tomorrow’s flight. I want to stay in Shenzhen and talk about cooperation in person.”

Akio Toyoda said with a gloomy face: ”Notify the technical department, re-evaluate the budget for the hydrogen energy project...”

Only BYD’s Wang Chuanfu was smiling: ”Chinese batteries have finally reached the top of the world.”

At this time, Gu Yanting returned to the backstage lounge and drank a whole bottle of water in one breath.

The assistant asked worriedly: ”CEO Gu, are you okay? You spoke for three hours straight...”

”I’m fine.” Gu Yanting wiped his sweat, ”It’s just... a bit like a dream. Three years ago, we were still in the lab cheering for a 5% increase in energy density. Today, we have changed the world.”

He looked at the still-boiling exhibition hall on the monitor screen and said softly:

”But this is just the beginning. Tomorrow, there are cars. The day after tomorrow, there are materials. The day after that... there is the chip.”

”What Spark wants to do is ignite an entire era.”

”Have everyone prepare for the business cooperation talks this afternoon. Have the materials ready, don’t take it lightly. We want to use technology to break into the global automaker supply chain and become the industry standard setter.”

Outside the window, the sun in Shenzhen was blazing.

And the map of the global energy industry had already been completely redrawn on this day.