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Batteries/Lithium Business 060710
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(July 2006)Energizer promotes AA batteries to charge cell phones. Cell phone users should be able to charge their phones with two of the company’s e2 Lithium AA batteries. Energizer will begin selling their Energi ToGo portable cell phone charger in September 2006. The cost is expected to be $20.00.
The new Energi ToGo includes a reusable charger, which connects to the phone’s charging slot and two e2 Lithium AA batteries. The tip connectors for the phone are said to fit about 100 phone models from the leading manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola and Samsung.
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(June 2006) EnerSys purchases Alliant Techsystems’ lithium battery unit. This battery unit makes batteries for the U.S. military. Enersys has a goal to develop new products for the U.S. military as well as for other world militaries.
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(June 2006) Ultralife Batteries, Inc. acquires ABLE New Energy Co., Ltd. ABLE manufactures lithium batteries in Shenzhen, China. Established in 2003, ABLE produces non-rechargeable Lithium-manganese dioxide and Lithium-thionyl chloride batteries. The company also supplies a variety of other non-rechargeable battery chemistries for a wide range of applications worldwide including utility meters, security systems, tire pressure sensors, medical devices, automotive electronics and memory backup, among many others. In 2005, ABLE generated about $300,000 in operating profit on approximately $2.3 million in revenue. Ultralife bought ABLE for $4.2 million, consisting of cash, common stock and stock warrants.
Ultralife has also recently acquired McDowell Research Ltd. McDowell makes chargers, amplifiers and other power equipment primarily for the military, especially special operations forces.
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(March 2006) Ultralife Batteries acquires all outstanding shares of Able New Energy. This company is a manufacturer of Lithium batteries located in Shenzhen, China. The price of the stock and warrants were $4.2 million. Able New Energy produces non-rechargeable Lithium-manganese dioxide and Lithium-thionyl chloride batteries. Able generated approximately $300,000 in operating profit on approximately $2.3 million in revenue.
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Ener1, Inc. and Delphi Corp. sign a non-binding letter of intent to create a joint venture to develop lithium batteries. Ener1 would leverage its vapor deposition process and nanotechnology to produce high discharge, low-cost lithium batteries. Delphi would provide strength in systems integration, manufacturing and battery cell packaging.
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Sanyo establishes lithium battery joint venture with GP Batteries in China. The new venture, Ningbo GP SANYO Energy Co. Ltd, located in China, will manufacture and sell manganese dioxide primary Lithium batteries.
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Simpio Technology, lithium battery make of notebooks, expects to ship 9 to 10 million Lithium batteries this year. Simpio Technology supplies batteries for notebooks to companies such as Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Compal Electronics in Taiwain. (Simpio’s major cell supplier is BYD in China.) With shipments reaching 9 to 10 million, Simpio Technology will have the second largest number of global shipments in 2004; Sony still holds the number one place for shipments of notebook batteries in the global market.
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The South Korean Trade Commission rules to impose anti-dumping tariffs on imports of primary lithium batteries from the U.S. and Japan. Over the next three years, antidumping duties will be 18.19% each.
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Toshiba sells its lithium battery technology and equipment to Stone Battery in Taiwan. Stone Battery plans to reopen its Shanghai plant in China. Toshiba ranked eighth in the global lithium battery market in 2003.
The Institute of Information Technology forecasts that cell units for lithium batteries will reach close to 1.6 billion units in 2004.
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(July 2004) Professor is mired in patent lawsuit
University of Texas (UT) Professor John B. Goodenough developed much of the technology used in lithium based batteries during his career at Oxford University. In 1986, he moved to the University of Texas and continued to pursue lithium-based battery technology. In 1993 Professor Goodenough was asked by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) to allow one of their scientists, Shigeto Okada, to work under him for a year. Agreement was made with the standard requirements that all work, contributions and discoveries remain the property of UT. Okada was in the program at the time when a major discovery was made to use lithium phosphate in the positive electrode. In November of 1994, Okada returned to NTT; a patent was filed by NTT for the lithium phosphate technology. UT and its Licensee, Hydro-Quebec is suing NTT for $300-$500 million.
Houston Chronicle, June 5, 2004
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(March 2004) Aerotech acquires Epsilor Electronic Industries. Ltd. Epsilor has developed and sold rechargeable and primary lithium batteries and smart chargers to the military and private industry in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Aerotech plans to introduce the acquired lithium-based battery technology to its Auburn, Alabama battery plant, as a base for broadening its US. military battery market. Aeroteh wants to be well-positioned in three important military battery markets; non-rechargeable Zinc-air, primary lithium, and rechargeable lithium along with associated smart chargers.
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(March 2004)Oak Ridge Micro-Energy is developing a thin film medical rechargeable microbattery. The battery-powered device will be implanted deep inside the body and enable physicians to assess and treat a variety of medial conditions in a noninvasive manner. The devices can either serve as a sensor for measuring parameters such as temperature and radiation dosage, or as an activator for localized drug therapies and nerve or tissue stimulations. The battery for this family of devices is about 0.25” X 0.08” x 0.0003” thick. According to Mark Meriwether, president and chief executive officer, this battery is being developed in a joint project with an unnamed company. He said, “(This project) will lead to the world’s first miniature implantable medical device of extremely small size that is fully contained and self-powered by our thin-film battery.” Mr. Meriwether says that this project will provide a significant revenue stream as soon as the third quarter of 2004.
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(January 2003) Aerotech acquires Epsilor Electronic Industries. Ltd.
Aerotech acquires Epsilor Electronic Industries. Ltd.
Epsilor has developed and sold recharge and primary lithium batteries and smart charges to the military and private industry in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Aerotech plans to introduce the acquired lithium-based battery technology to its Auburn, Alabama battery plant, as a base for broadening its US. military battery market. Aeroteh wants to be well-positioned in three important military battery markets; non-rechargeable Zinc-air, primary lithium, and rechargeable lithium along with associated smart chargers.
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(January 2004) Oak Ridge Micro-Energy is developing a thin film medical rechargeable microbattery.
The battery-powered device will be implanted deep inside the body and enable physicians to assess and treat a variety of medial conditions in a noninvasive manner. The devices can either serve as a sensor, measuring parameters such as temperature, radiation dosage, or as an activator for localized drug therapies and nerve or tissue stimulations. The battery for this family of devices is about 0.25” X 0.08” x 0.0003’ thick According to Mark Meriwether, president and chief executive officer, this battery is being developed in a joint project with an unnamed company. He said, “(This project) will lead to the world’s first miniature implantable medical device of extremely small size that is fully contained and self-powered by our thin-film battery.” Mr. Meriwether says that this project will provide a significant revenue stream as soon as third quarter of 2004.
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U.S. Battery & Fuel Cell Components Demand to Reach $4.9 Billion in 2007
U.S. demand for battery and fuel cell components (discrete fabricated devices that are incorporated in the final product) is projected to rise 6.8 percent annually through 2007 to $4.8 billion. Battery growth will be driven by acceleration in battery output, strong demand for energy-hungry portable devices such as digital cameras and a shift in production toward advanced, higher-end batteries with improved performance. Fuel Cell production will climb over eightfold, resulting in double-digit increases in demand for electrode assemblies, fuel reformers and processors, plates and other components.
Demand for batteries in electrical and electronic devices will outpace demand for most of the other battery and fuel cell component types through 2007. Gains will reflect both increased use of “smart battery” technology and double-digit growth in lithium battery production, boosting demand for safety devices used to provide overcurrent protection. A robust fuel cell market environment will also stimulate on-board power conditioning devices, among other components. However, battery electrodes will continue to dominate overall components demand, accounting for 46 percent of the market in 2007. Consumption of battery containers and covering will remain substantial as well, representing nearly one-fifth of all components demand.
Secondary batteries represent by far the largest battery and fuel cell components market and will account for more than three-fifths of all demand in 2007. This is predominately due to greater per-unit demand (on a dollar basis) for components used in the manufacture of Lead-acid batteries, compared to most other battery types.
(Content is from “Battery & Fuel Cell Components” (published 08/2--3) by Freedonia Group, Inc. of Cleveland, OH. The price of the entire report is $3,800. More information may be obtained via the website, www:freedoniagroup.com.)
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(Sept. 2003) Lithium Technology Corp.’s (LTC) 42-Volt automotive batteries to be tested by the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). Four of LTC’s 42-Volt automotive batteries and 15 of its 27-hour flat cell packs will be tested for performance, safety and life span by the USABC, which is a joint group of the Big Three automakers and the U.S. Department of Energy. LTC will receive $30,000 for the first two 42-Volt batteries.
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(August 2003) SONY takes legal action against BYD Battery of Shenzhen, China for infringing on two of its patents relating to the Lithium-ion cells’s electrode material and package structure. In a suit filed in the Tokyo District Court, SONY has asked for an injunction on the sale of BYD’s batteries in Japan. According to news on CNN.com, a Sony spokesperson said, “If an infringement is confirmed, we will consider filing lawsuits overseas.”
Last September, SANYO Electric Co. filed a similar patent infringement suit against BYD in the United States. Its suit relates to the bare cell of the batteries and the structure of the battery packs.
At the Power 2002 Conference last October, Hideo Takeshita of the Institute of Information Technology Ltd. in Japan said, “BYD is chasing Sanyo with the rising demand for Chinese cellular.” Mr. Takeshita also noted with his graph that BYD was also offering the lowest price - about US$2.00/cell pack. Of course, BYD can offer low prices with labor costs being low; although BYD’s wage/pay scale is unknown, “an assembly-line worker earns 50 cents to 80 cents an hour in China.” (Quote from “Mexico Wasting Away - Despite SARS, Mexico is still losing export ground to China,” Business Week, 06/02/03, p.44.)
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(August 2003)Lithium-ion/polymer Cell Shipments
At the BCI (Battery International Council) Convention in May, Joseph Carcone, Sr. Vice President of SANYO, gave a keynote address on “The History and Future of Rechargeable Batteries for Portable Power.” In his address, he noted that SANYO (Japan) was the global leader for manufacturing Lithium-ion/Lithium-ion polymer cells. By the end of the fourth quarter of 2002, Sanyo was shipping almost 20 million cells per month while Sony (Japan) was shipping about 15 million and BYD (China) was shipping close to ten million cells, a record for a Chinese company which is now the world’s third largest global supplier. BYD’s customers for cellphone batteries are leading cell phone manufacturers such
as Motorola and Ericsson. +
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(May 2003) Industries International Incorporated (INDI), a Chinese company engaged in R&D, manufacture and sales of terminal products in communications (i.e. cordless phones), acquires Lithium battery manufacturer. INDI agrees to purchase all issued and outstanding shares of Li Sun Power International Limited from Dr. Kit Tsu, the majority shareholder of INDI. By acquiring Li Sun , INDI will become the owner of approximately 73% of Wuhan Lixing Power Sources Co. Ltd., a company which produces 82.5 million pieces of disposable Lithium batteries, 3.5 million pieces of rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries and 54,000 units of chemical composition equipment and testing equipment for Lithium-ion batteries. Mr. Weijang Yu, President of INDI, sees great potential for the Lithium battery market. He said, “We see the market for Lithium-ion batteries in 2002 to be in excess of US$ 33 billion worldwide.”
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(october,02) Mitsubishi Cable Industries and Ferro Tec of Tokyo will set up joint venture in China. Beginning in 2003, the two companies will shift manufacturing operations to China to enhance the manufacture of lithium batteries. The move is part of Mitsubishi’s strategy to enhance its competitiveness in the lithium battery business.2
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(August,02) Lithium Technology Corporation (LTC), a pilot stage rechargeable lithium battery manufacturer, establishes outsourcing relationship with Ultralife Batteries (ULBI). ULBI will use LTC’s proprietary mixing and coating process and materials and then manufacture the cells using ULBI’s manpower and cell packaging capabilities. LTC or its German Lithium-ion polymer battery company partner, GAIA, will then assemble these large footprint cells (created for applications such as in 42-Volt systems or hybrid vehicles) into stacks. The company also received a contract from the University of Minnesota for prototype robotic batteries. The 3 Amp-hr. Lithium-ion batteries will power fourteen robots designed to operate as part of a coordinated fleet that pursues security targets and relays intelligence information to government, military or law enforcement authorities.
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(July,02) Lithium Technology Corporation and GAIA Akkumalatorenwerke GmbH will supply prototype 36/42-Volt batteries for BMW. The battery, which will undergo testing in the U.S. and Europe, delivers 7-8 kW of power, with a capacity of 27 Ah, pulse power capability of 200 Amps for starting, a low operating temperature of -300C and an estimated life of 8 years. The stacked flat cells are housed in a standard European automotive battery casing with dimensions of 7”x7.5”x12”. The battery is designed to meet the 42 Volt battery specifications of the Astor project to test advanced energy storage systems.
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Rechargeable Batteries Based on Intercalation in Graphite
(December, 01) This is a unique concept in constructing a battery which can be thermally recharged at temperatures approaching 100 0C. The cell would be built with a graphite cathode and a graphite anode surrounded by lithium bromide dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent and separated by an ion-exchange membrane impermeable to bromine. When charged, the anode would be loaded with lithium intercalated into the structure, and free bromine would be in the compartment surrounding the cathode. When discharging, the bromine would be intecalated into the cathode, and the lithium would come out of the anode into the solvent. On charge, the reverse process could be forced by an external charger or an external potential with external heat applied to the cathode, driving the bromine out and forcing the lithium back into the anode.
NASA Tech Briefs
February 2001, pp. 46-47
(March,02) Lithium Technology Corporation, a rechargeable lithium battery manufacturer, has engaged Colebroke Capital, Inc. to assist in the strategic repositioning of the Company. The planning will include a reorientation of the relationship with llion Technology Corporation of New Zealand. The Company is weighing a number of alternatives to commercialize its large format flat cells, process know-how and large battery assemblies.(12-01 BD69-11)
Lithium Technology Corporation (LTC) announces merger with GAIA, a German Lithium-polymer battery company. In other news, Dr. Andrew (Jim) Manning was recently elected Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer. David J. Cade, LTC’s chairman and CEO said, “...Jim Manning has been the key driver in applying our innovative flat cell technology to large battery applications in the automobile, renewable power and certain niche markets. To date, no company has successfully commercialized lithium-based rechargeable batteries in these rapidly emerging markets.
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