Nikkei: Japanese Li-ion battery firms boost R&D to counter aggressive S Koreans
28 August 2011
The Nikkei reports that Japanese makers of Li-ion batteries are boosting R&D to bolster their position as lower-cost South Korean rivals threaten to steal a slice of their market.
Japanese manufacturers started developing Li-ion batteries for vehicles in the 1990s and have become world leaders. They are hoping to cash in on the explosive growth expected in the market for such batteries. Techno Systems Research Co., a Tokyo-based market research firm, expects that market to be 54 times bigger in 2020 than it was in 2010. By that year, global sales of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles are expected to reach 38 billion dollars (3 trillion yen).
...Toshiba, Hitachi and other Japanese makers of Li-ion batteries are striving to develop new, more competitive products because they are feeling the heat from hard-charging South Korean manufacturers. South Korean battery makers are trying to grab bigger chunks of the market by undercutting their Japanese rivals.
...One Japanese manufacturer was recently shocked by the prices offered to automakers by a South Korean supplier, which were one-half to one-third that of similar Japanese products. “A Japanese battery maker would lose money selling at such prices,” said an industry executive.
Innovation and higher quality is another way to compete with lower production cost facilities in other countries. Apple has had success doing that but you must stay one step ahead.
Posted by: HarveyD | 28 August 2011 at 08:04 AM
Looks like the big players in ESS and batteries R&D are US, Korea, Japan and Germany. China is just a manufacturer. They need to stay very active here as the most disruptive technologies are also making fast progress. This will change the entire energy picture. In the end the low cost Korean products will drive the Japanese product cost down too. Benefiting the EV makers and the public.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 30 August 2011 at 11:01 AM