Targeting China

A model shows off Samsung SDI’s cylindrical cell batteries.
A model shows off Samsung SDI’s cylindrical cell batteries.

 

Samsung SDI, a battery manufacturing affiliate of the Samsung Group, will provide electric vehicle (EV) batteries to Chinese carmaker JAC Motors.

The company announced on Nov. 22 that JAC showcased its new EV model “iEV65,” which has used Samsung SDI’s cylindrical cell batteries, at the Auto Guangzhou 2015 in China on Nov. 20.

JAC Motors’ iEV65 is the China’s first electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) that can drive up to 250 kilometers with a fully-charged battery.

Samsung SDI said it will start supplying multimillion battery cells to JAC Motors from its Cheonan factory and Tianjin subsidiary in China every month from early next year.

The company said its cylindrical cell battery has about 3000 mAh power capacity.

The battery has been often used for small information technology (IT) devices and power tools, including laptop computers, motor drills, electric screw drivers and electric bicycles. Tesla is the sole global EV brand that uses cylindrical cell batteries for their cars.

In the Chinese market, local carmakers such as ZOTYE, Geely and JAC Motors are currently accelerating the launch of EVs using cylindrical cell batteries. More than half of EVs on the market have cylindrical cell batteries. In order to meet demand, Samsung SDI will begin production of high-performance cylindrical cell batteries for EVs in its Cheonan plant and Tianjin subsidiary in China.

Meanwhile, the company completed the construction of an EV battery plant in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province of China, last month. The Xi’an Plant manufactures square-shaped RV batteries for approximately 40 thousand pure EVs and 150,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) a year. Samsung SDI will invest US$600 million (693.9 billion won) into the Xi’an battery plant until 2020 in a bid to increase its production capacity and aims to achieve more than US$1 billion (1.16 trillion won) in sales.

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