Batteries get most of the press, but power electronics (gadgets like inverters, onboard chargers and DC/DC converters) are critical components of all sorts of electrified vehicles as well as high-tech energy solutions. As the electromobility/clean energy sector grows, leading companies in the power electronics field could be poised for major growth. Lux Research recently released… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "Panasonic"
StoreDot says its battery tech charges 10 times faster
Put this one in the “If it can do what they claim, it really will be revolutionary” category. Israeli battery developer StoreDot says its EV FlashBattery can charge a 300-mile battery in 5 minutes – almost 10 times faster than today’s state of the art. In 2014, StoreDot demonstrated the FlashBattery, which it says can… Read more »
Korean battery-maker SK Innovation doubles production capacity
SK Innovation, a unit of SK Group, is a small fish in a sea of Asian battery suppliers like Panasonic, Samsung and LG, but its automotive customer base is growing, and it is rapidly ramping up production. Since the Korean firm opened its battery plant in Seosan in 2012, it has been enlarging its production… Read more »
First phase of Tesla Gigafactory nearly complete
Tesla’s game-changing Gigafactory in Northern Nevada is taking shape even faster than expected. The first building phase is nearly complete, the company told Nevada’s Legislative Commission in a quarterly report that it is required to provide under the terms of the $1.3-billion package of tax incentives it received from the state. The first phase is… Read more »
Sumitomo Chemical increases production capacity for battery separators
Sumitomo Chemical is ramping up production capacity for its Pervio lithium-ion secondary battery separators. Production at the company’s Ohe Works in Niihama, Japan will be raised to approximately 1.3 times the current capacity by next spring. The company also plans to build a new plant for Pervio at its subsidiary in South Korea, to start… Read more »
Apple and A123 settle engineer-poaching lawsuit
The iCar is still just a rumor, but Apple surely has been showing a lot of interest in EV-related technology, including large-format batteries. This week, the Cupertino computer-maker agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that it had been showing a little too much interest in engineers working for Massachusetts battery-maker A123. In February, A123 filed… Read more »
LG Chem Power CEO: We’re the Li-ion leader for PEVs because of material science
Q&A with LG Chem Power’s CEO: Dr. Prabhakar Patil on how the company became a Li-ion battery front-runner, the economics of building batteries, and why it spends little energy on what comes after lithium. Among Tier 1 automotive suppliers of lithium-ion cells, LG Chem is off to a clear lead, based on the number of announced… Read more »
Report: EV makers slowly increasing power capacity of onboard chargers
In quest of faster charging times, some EV-makers are gradually raising the power capacity of their vehicles’ onboard chargers. However, a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan predicts that onboard chargers with power ratings between 3 and 3.7 kW will remain the norm, especially in lower-end models, and will account for 62 percent of sales in… Read more »
Polypore separates itself and sells two main elements for $3.2 billion
Polypore, the maker of battery separators and microporous membranes, is to be split in two and sold. The company announced that 3M will acquire the assets of Polypore’s Separations Media segment for about $1 billion, and Asahi Kasei will purchase the rest of the company for $60.50 per share. This represents an enterprise value for… Read more »
Tesla and Samsung to expand battery partnership?
Tesla and Samsung are talking about expanding their battery partnership, industry officials have told the Korea Times. “With Tesla seeking to diversify its battery sourcing channels beyond its key partner Panasonic, Samsung SDI will have greater room to supply more EV batteries to Tesla,” said an unnamed source. Samsung is expected to supply about 8… Read more »