Samsung SDI Ascends to Global no.1 in Rechargeable Battery

Samsung SDI is about to pull ahead of Sanyo Electric to take the lion’s share in the global rechargeable lithium-ion battery market.

According to the IIT (Institute of Information Technology) of Japan, a market researcher, Samsung SDI’s market share in terms of battery supply is estimated to reach 20.1%, surpassing Sanyo’s 19.9%. Samsung and LG Chem combined, the share is forecast at 35%, tailgating their Japanese counterparts’ total at 42%. A decade ago, it was 94% versus 2%, a landslide victory for Japan.

At present, lithium-ion batteries are mostly finding their way into laptops and mobile phones. However, the market is expected to pump up its size once those for EVs (electric vehicles) hit the market. Market watchers are predicting that, five years from now, the size will grow at least four-fold to 5 trillion won and EV batteries will take up some 40% of it

“By enhancing our competitive edge in the small-size battery segment, we will redouble our business efficiency, revenue and profits altogether,” said Samsung SDI CEO Park Sang-jin. He added, “It will be our cash cow of the future.”