[Screenshot captured from Lucid Motors' website]
The battery producing arm of Samsung Electronics, the world's largest smartphone maker, has forged a joint deal with US electric car startup Lucid Motors to develop next-generation cells following a setback in its smartphone battery business.
Samsung SDI will supply Lucid Motors with lithium-ion batteries that would outperform what's currently available in the marketplace, according to US business magazine Fortune.
The deal followed Lucid Motors' announcement that it would build a $700 million factory to produce 1,000 horsepower cars in 2018, including at least one variant capable of traveling 400 miles on a single charge.
Samsung and Lucid Motors work together on the development of new cylindrical cells, Fortune said. Tesla became an early standout in the electric vehicle space in part due to its innovative battery pack designed around small format cylindrical lithium-ion cells.
Lithium-ion batteries have so far governed the global rechargeable battery market due to their outstanding energy and power capability. However, they have the weakness of taking too long to charge and discharge.
Battery suppliers are trying to develop cheaper, more efficient, more powerful batteries. But there are challenges with using small cells like the ones Tesla has in its battery packs because the cells require a lot of thermal cooling, sensors and wiring.
Samsung SDI and Lucid Motors said their joint product would "exceed current performance benchmarks in areas such as energy density, power, calendar life, and safety", Fortune said.
"The breakthrough battery life demonstrated by the new cell from Samsung SDI will be of tangible benefit to our customers, particularly companies with ride-sharing services operating around the clock," Lucid Motors chief technology officer Peter Rawlinson was quoted as saying.
EV batteries are considered one of the world's most promising sectors due to rising demands for an alternative to fossil fuels and the fast distribution of eco-friendly vehicles.
Samsung SDI and its domestic rival LG Chem, which control one-third of the world's EV battery market together, face tough regulations on car batteries in China. Samsung SDI's reputation was also damaged by its combustible batteries that led to a global recall of Galaxy Note 7.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
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Park Sae-jin
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