Press report on Li-On bats production growth in China

[Roy]

A quite detailed article discussing growth in Chinese Lithium-Ion battery industry over the last few years. One detail paragraph highlights use in e-bikes:

Most Chinese companies are producing lithium-ion batteries for portable applications. Large companies have undertaken research and development with the help of joint ventures and/or partnerships with companies from Japan, Europe, and the United States. These companies, which include BYD Company Limited; EMB; GBP; Suzhou Phylion Battery Co., Ltd.; Xingheng; Tianjin Lantian; Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co., Ltd.; Beijing Green Power; and CITIC Guoan MGL, are developing lithium-ion batteries for e-bike, EV, and HEV applications—with particular focus on EVs and e-bikes. E-bikes have been by far the most successful battery electric vehicle application in history, with an estimated cumulative production of ~30 million by 2007.

Here's the full article on greencarcongress.com
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/06/argonne-china-m.html#more

 

[tomv]

The source for that snippet is:
http://www.ipd.anl.gov/anlpubs/2008/02/60978.pdf

It's an 80 page long aggregation of google search results about batteries. Summaries of unverified data from company web sites, press releases, 5 year old statistics. Frustrating read, but has some tiny bits of interesting info, even if you have to doubt the accuracy of the claims.

For me the biggest puzzle is about battery market is why such mismatch between demand and supply persists for decades. There's a shortage of lithium batteries for as long as they exist, and yet no serious investment/growth is happening to meet that demand. I'm completely puzzled why?

 

[Link]

IIRC, there aren't many places where free elemental lithium is found because it's such a reactive metal, and nobody's figured out a way to extract it in large quantities from ore yet.

Same reason why aluminum used to be more valuable than gold. :?

 

[TylerDurden]

For me the biggest puzzle is about battery market is why such mismatch between demand and supply persists for decades. There's a shortage of lithium batteries for as long as they exist, and yet no serious investment/growth is happening to meet that demand. I'm completely puzzled why?

IMO, it's due to the cost of R&D. It is only about a year since a formula for large safe secondary cells has been developed. Institutional investment likes stable growth based on markets (as opposed to scientific discovery).
:?

 

[Lock]

I wonder if the ES EV folk might consider forming a Venture Capital group...
Can't think of a better bunch to critique personal electrics... the tech at least.
Combining ES EV tech knowledge w/biz savvy... this time and place... killer... in a nice way
Like these guys:
http://www.prosper.com/
but EV targeted...
When the journalists write:
"E-bikes have been by far the most successful battery electric vehicle application in history"
Just reinforces the opportunity
tks
Lock