Report: Sanyo To boost capacity for automotive Li-ion batteries
24 December 2010
The Nikkei reports that Sanyo Electric Co. plans to raise its output capacity for automotive lithium ion batteries by 150% to the equivalent of some 1 million hybrid vehicles annually through a roughly ¥15 billion (US$180.7 million) investment in a key plant.
Sanyo will boost production of lithium ion batteries for automobiles at its Kasai plant. The firm will double production lines at the Kasai plant in Hyogyo Prefecture, completed this year, to four as early as fiscal 2011. The new lines will mass-produce large batteries with capacities of 20 ampere-hours or higher for use in plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.
Sanyo already produces lithium ion batteries for hybrid vehicles made by the Volkswagen AG group. It will also supply them to a hybrid that Toyota Motor Corp. is working toward launching early next year and plans to do the same for Ford Motor Co. hybrids.
Good show Sanyo. Keep it up with new higher performance technologies and lower cost mass produced units. Solid states higher performance rugged EV batteries will be out soon.
Plug-in modular units will also be available within a few years. Eventually, EV owners will add, remove, exchange, replace, upgrade modules (at Walmart+++) as required at much lower cost.
Posted by: HarveyD | 24 December 2010 at 08:09 AM
When you look at 1 EV with 24kWh of batteries, versus 24 HEVs with 1kWh of batteries, what does the most good for the most people? 24 HEVs getting 40% better mileage would be like 9 EVs using no oil.
Posted by: SJC | 24 December 2010 at 12:23 PM
Based on current low batteries performance and their current high cost, 50+ mpg Prius III HEVs may be the best solution. Next, would be basic PHEVs with smaller battery pack. That may be what the Prius first generation PHEV will be. Others will follow.
As batteries performance get much better (2x to 3x) and their cost go down to 1/3 current level, PHEVs with extended e-range and highway capable BEVs will start to make sense.
A very interesting decades we live in.
Posted by: HarveyD | 24 December 2010 at 01:51 PM
Dividing the investment by the production increment, an investment of about $300 builds one HEV battery-equivalent per year. That's not bad at all.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 24 December 2010 at 06:56 PM
E-P: Could explain?
Did you mean that the investment required is only $300 per 1.6 Kwh battery?...per year?? Do you mean mean that over a 5 year period, the investment required is only $300/5 = $60 per HEV battery pack?
If so, the price of batteries, (depending on materials and labor cost) will soon come down.
Eventually, nano technologies could reduce the amount of expensive materials required and automation could greatly reduce labor cost.
Posted by: HarveyD | 25 December 2010 at 09:47 AM
Sanyo is going a good job bringing batteries to the market. It seems like there is still progress to be made on the chemistry and structure of those batteries.
When you consider the complexity of piston engines and modern transmissions, it is a wonder that they can be built cost effectively at all. That is a marvel of modern manufacturing and that can be brought to motors, controllers and batteries as well.
Posted by: SJC | 25 December 2010 at 10:54 AM
Yup, that's what I mean. Investing an incremental $300 gets you one more pack per year. Amortized over 5 years, that's maybe $80 apiece (for the plant).
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 25 December 2010 at 11:17 AM
Any idea what is the current cost ratio between initial plant investment and production cost?
Per Kwh?
Based on a minimum 5-year period between plant/technology upgrades.
Posted by: HarveyD | 26 December 2010 at 12:33 PM
I fully agree with SJC.
Future solid states batteries will be mass produced at a much lower cost before 2020. Other components such as e-motors, controllers, chargers, generators are already 90+% efficient and will also be mass produced at a much lower cost in the near future.
Clean running post 2020 BEVs should cost much less than equivalent more complex ICE, HEVs, PHEVs. Lighter, more durable materials will be used to lower total weight and use less energy to drive around.
Posted by: HarveyD | 27 December 2010 at 09:53 AM