Sanyo hopes to stay No. 1 in batteries, grow in electric vehicle busienss with Panasonic

By Yuri Kageyama, AP
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sanyo vows to keep No. 1 spot in batteries

TOKYO — Sanyo is aiming to maintain its position as the world’s No. 1 in rechargeable batteries in the years ahead, taking advantage of the size it has gained by allying with Panasonic, a top executive said Wednesday.

By 2015, its nearly 30 percent global share of the lithium-ion battery market will have climbed to at least 40 percent, and as high as 45 percent, predicts Mitsuru Homma, an executive vice president at Sanyo Electric Co.

“Sanyo has 46 years of experience in this field,” he told The Associated Press at the Osaka-based company’s Tokyo office. “Many companies are entering the market, but we already have gone through all the failures they will have to go through to catch up.”

Panasonic Corp. bought its smaller and unprofitable Japanese rival Sanyo for $4.6 billion late last year, forming one of the world’s largest electronics makers.

Lithium-ion batteries are now mostly used in gadgets like laptops and cell phones. But they are expected to become a key technology for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, which are still in their fledgling stages.

Kevin Chang, director of Fitch Ratings Taiwan, said the Panasonic-Sanyo combination holds potential because of its technological clout and scale.

Electric vehicle batteries will remain a small part of their overall business, but promise opportunities in the long run, he said in a telephone interview.

“Their cost efficiency will be improved as a result of their larger operating scale,” Chang said.

Sanyo hopes to control about a quarter of the world market in lithium-ion batteries for such green autos by about 2020, Homma said.

When including batteries for ecologically friendly vehicles other than lithium-ion, Sanyo is targeting 40 percent of the global market by 2020, the company said.

Homma said Sanyo’s tie-up with Panasonic, based in Osaka, can work only as a plus because production in bigger numbers leads to cost cuts, which are critical for the proliferation of the new, and still costly, battery technology for cars.

Panasonic has a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp. to produce batteries for hybrids and electric vehicles.

But Sanyo will have the freedom to supply any automaker in the world, Homma said, while declining to name companies it was talking with.

Sanyo, which also has a strong solar-panel business, already does business with Honda Motor Co., Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co.

Homma acknowledged that powerful rivals are coming from behind, such as Samsung Electronics Co. of South Korea.

In contrast, he played down the threat from longtime Japanese rival Sony Corp., which has said it will start making batteries for green vehicles, banking on technology it has gained through years in the consumer electronics business.

“There is no stopping the world trend toward electric vehicles,” said Homma, noting concerns about the environment and oil prices. “We see great potential in our batteries as a key component in cars.”

Discussion
October 21, 2010: 12:47 am

I an interested in the battery development.

October 21, 2010: 12:46 am

Sounds good to me.

October 14, 2010: 10:05 pm

Do not leave the array in the charger afterwards the indicator says it’s absolutely replenished. (Don’t leave the array in the camcorder either.) Store the array at allowance temperature. Stashing it in the fridge to apathetic array cesspool is absurd if you Top up the array again, aloof afore your abutting cutting session, to atone for ability boring absent while the array was on the shelf.

October 6, 2010: 5:05 am

A team of Ohio State University students hopes to earn a land speed record for an electric car after runs at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. An official timer says the battery-powered Buckeye Bullet was clocked at speeds averaging about 307 mph over two runs.

September 5, 2010: 11:24 am

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute have come up with a novel approach of customizing electric cars for cost-effective commuting. The project named ChargeCar led by Illah Nourbakhsh


sony cyber-shot dsc-w100 charger replacement charger - battery charger electronic for sony cyber-shot dsc-w100
August 25, 2010: 1:09 am

thanks for share.

August 24, 2010: 4:24 am

this is very good!!!


sony cyber-shot dsc-w215 charger replacement charger
August 22, 2010: 8:21 pm

It is a good article.Thanks

August 17, 2010: 7:59 pm

.i think it will helpful to our environment.

August 17, 2010: 7:58 pm

It is very good.

August 17, 2010: 7:04 am

Find a spare battery for Nikon D200? Super Capacity Li-ion 7.4V(Compatible with 7.2V) 1500mAh batteries for Nikon D200 are on sale,20% off

August 10, 2010: 4:11 am

Thanks for share.


kodak easyshare m1073 is battery replacement battery
August 10, 2010: 12:53 am

thanks for share.It is very good.

July 29, 2010: 8:42 pm

Very good.I think it will helpful to our environment.

June 30, 2010: 2:00 am

it is a good new for us.i think it will helpful to our environment.

June 27, 2010: 8:28 pm

it is an important things for us. thanks for share.

June 7, 2010: 10:51 pm

The incident took place Monday morning in Salkia town of Howrah district, adjoining Kolkata.

YOUR VIEW POINT
NAME : (REQUIRED)
MAIL : (REQUIRED)
will not be displayed
WEBSITE : (OPTIONAL)
YOUR
COMMENT :