Samsung SDI Co. has become South Korea’s first company to mass-produce cylindrical batteries with a 46-millimeter (46 mm) diameter, regarded as a next-generation battery format for micromobility applications such as motor cycles and golf carts.
The company said on Monday that it has launched the mass production of batteries with the 4695 form factor, which measures 95 mm in height, at its Cheonan plant in South Chungcheong Province.
The cells will be assembled into battery modules at its Vietnam plant before being shipped to a US customer.
“Samsung SDI ushered in the era of 46 mm batteries for micromobility, which demands lower specifications than electric vehicles,” said a domestic battery industry official.
With the start of mass production, it has outpaced bigger rival LG Energy Solution Ltd., which had been widely expected to be the first Korean company to roll out 46 mm cylindrical batteries.
4680 FORM FACTOR
LG Energy is slated to begin mass production of 4680 cylindrical batteries — 80 mm in height — at its factory in South Korea.
It is said to be in the final phase of testing the 4680-type battery specifications with Tesla Inc., the world’s No. 2 electric vehicle maker and other carmakers.
Batteries with a 46 mm diameter offer greater storage capacity than the conventional 2170 type, which measures 21 mm in diameter and 70 mm in height. They also deliver higher energy density than the predecessor by more than 20% relative to volume.
The cylindrical design allows for improved gas dissipation between cells, addressing a key safety concern.
Samsung is in discussions with BMW and Stellantis for potential new battery supply deals, according to industry sources.
The global market for 46 mm-diameter cylindrical batteries is forecast to quadruple to 650 gigawatts-hours (GWh) by 2030 from an estimated 155 GWh this year, according to SNE Research.
By Sang-Hoon Sung
uphoon@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.
