Lack of battery supply from Tesla … LGㆍSamsung to get ‘reflective profit’
Park Jung Il | comja77@ | 2018-02-05 11:17:47
LG Chem and Samsung SDI are attracting attention as new foods thanks to the scarcity of Tesla`s rechargeable batteries in the cylindrical form. Tesla`s battery plant Giga Factory, a US electric car maker, has failed to play a role, and demand for cylindrical batteries for electric vehicles has increased sharply.
According to the industry on February 4, Samsung SDI is reported to be operating fully the production facilities in Cheonan, Tianjin, China, and Serembang, Malaysia as the demand for cylindrical batteries rapidly increased recently.
"A cylindrical battery plant is in full operation for several months and is currently considering whether to expand it," said an industry observer familiar with Samsung SDI. "Currently, we are producing 18650 batteries (diameter 18 mm, length 65 mm) 21 mm in diameter, 70 mm in height). "
The 21700 battery has increased the storage capacity by increasing the size of a cylindrical battery, which has been widely used in portable flashlights, and has attracted attention as a next-generation secondary battery standard.
Meanwhile, LG Chem is also in a similar situation. The company is also increasing its production of 21700 batteries, and it is known that it has developed a technology that can stably work with external shock by wrapping a special tape on an electrode, and is developing a market in non-IT areas such as power tools. This is because demand for electric vehicles and wireless vacuum cleaners is rapidly increasing not only in non-IT areas but also in the electric car market.
According to market researcher B3, the market for cylindrical batteries is shrinking from 1,690 million cells in 2010 to 1,568 million cells in 2013, but rebounded from 2014 to 3,264 million cells last year.
On the other hand, Tesla`s Giga factory, which was built for the electric vehicle battery production, is not working properly, and Samsung SDI and LG Chem are receiving unexpected benefits. According to industry sources, Giga Factory, which started operation from early last year, is reported to have difficulties in production due to unstable supply of photovoltaic power, which is the main power. It is said that it is difficult to operate normally due to the desert location in the state of Nevada, where it is not easy to attract power from the country.
Panasonic, which has jointly invested in Giga Factory, has been unable to respond to requests from other customers by supplying Tesla with all the cylindrical batteries produced in Japan. As a result, companies that need large batteries are looking for LG Chem and Samsung SDI as an alternative. Actually, Samsung SDI is supplying Tesla with cylindrical batteries for electric power storage (ESS), and Lucid Motors, a latecomer of the electric car, will also supply batteries for the high - end sports sedan to be produced this year. Recently, it has been difficult to construct a factory. However, Faraday Future, which is considered as a Tesla Counterpart, reportedly decided to install a cylindrical battery of LG Chem in 2016.
A related person of the battery association pointed out, "Although it was predicted that the cylindrical type will be gradually disappear because it is difficult to apply it to IT devices such as smart phones due to its design characteristics until three or four years ago, it is attracting attention again in terms of mass production efficiency and price competitiveness after the appearance of electric car." "I do not know how Tesla will lead the cylindrical battery market, but the battery industry is still cautious about investing in capacity," he said.
By Park Jung Il comja77@
[ copyright ⓒ The Digitaltimes ]
According to the industry on February 4, Samsung SDI is reported to be operating fully the production facilities in Cheonan, Tianjin, China, and Serembang, Malaysia as the demand for cylindrical batteries rapidly increased recently.
"A cylindrical battery plant is in full operation for several months and is currently considering whether to expand it," said an industry observer familiar with Samsung SDI. "Currently, we are producing 18650 batteries (diameter 18 mm, length 65 mm) 21 mm in diameter, 70 mm in height). "
The 21700 battery has increased the storage capacity by increasing the size of a cylindrical battery, which has been widely used in portable flashlights, and has attracted attention as a next-generation secondary battery standard.
Meanwhile, LG Chem is also in a similar situation. The company is also increasing its production of 21700 batteries, and it is known that it has developed a technology that can stably work with external shock by wrapping a special tape on an electrode, and is developing a market in non-IT areas such as power tools. This is because demand for electric vehicles and wireless vacuum cleaners is rapidly increasing not only in non-IT areas but also in the electric car market.
According to market researcher B3, the market for cylindrical batteries is shrinking from 1,690 million cells in 2010 to 1,568 million cells in 2013, but rebounded from 2014 to 3,264 million cells last year.
On the other hand, Tesla`s Giga factory, which was built for the electric vehicle battery production, is not working properly, and Samsung SDI and LG Chem are receiving unexpected benefits. According to industry sources, Giga Factory, which started operation from early last year, is reported to have difficulties in production due to unstable supply of photovoltaic power, which is the main power. It is said that it is difficult to operate normally due to the desert location in the state of Nevada, where it is not easy to attract power from the country.
Panasonic, which has jointly invested in Giga Factory, has been unable to respond to requests from other customers by supplying Tesla with all the cylindrical batteries produced in Japan. As a result, companies that need large batteries are looking for LG Chem and Samsung SDI as an alternative. Actually, Samsung SDI is supplying Tesla with cylindrical batteries for electric power storage (ESS), and Lucid Motors, a latecomer of the electric car, will also supply batteries for the high - end sports sedan to be produced this year. Recently, it has been difficult to construct a factory. However, Faraday Future, which is considered as a Tesla Counterpart, reportedly decided to install a cylindrical battery of LG Chem in 2016.
A related person of the battery association pointed out, "Although it was predicted that the cylindrical type will be gradually disappear because it is difficult to apply it to IT devices such as smart phones due to its design characteristics until three or four years ago, it is attracting attention again in terms of mass production efficiency and price competitiveness after the appearance of electric car." "I do not know how Tesla will lead the cylindrical battery market, but the battery industry is still cautious about investing in capacity," he said.
By Park Jung Il comja77@