Battery makers face fierce competition

The nation’s big three battery makers — LG Chem, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation — are engaged in a cutthroat battle since their technology has become a core part of electric vehicle (EV) makers competitiveness.

LG Chem and SK Innovation are expected to soon introduce the high energy-density NCM811 battery cell. Samsung SDI showcased its latest technology in battery packs and modules during this year’s Frankfurt International Motor Show.

Korea’s largest battery maker LG Chem has focused on improving the capacity of each battery cell. A cell is a basic unit in a battery, multiple cells are a module and multiple modules become a pack.

Utilizing its latest technology in battery cells, LG Chem has successfully developed the next-generation NCM811 battery cell, which consists of nickel, cobalt and manganese in the proportion of eight to one to one.

Compared to existing battery cell products in the market, the NCM811 cell’s nickel ratio increased to 80 percent from 60 percent while its cobalt ratio was reduced from 20 percent to 10 percent. LG Chem said higher nickel content can contribute to higher energy density while lower cobalt content saves production costs.

Thanks to its high energy-density and lower production cost, the NCM811 cell is expected to become a core technology in the future of EVs that can travel more than 500 kilometers once fully charged.

Last month, No. 3 SK Innovation also announced its plan to mass-produce the NCM811 battery cell for energy storage systems by December and for EVs by the third quarter of next year.

However, LG Chem President Lee Ung-beom said during a trade ministry conference for secondary battery technology that LG Chem aims at “mass-producing the NCM811 cell before SK Innovation does.”

The nation’s second-largest battery maker Samsung SDI is showcasing its “multi-function” battery pack in this year’s Frankfurt International Motor Show, which started Sept. 11 and will continue through Sept. 24.