Briefing on the resurgence of Wanxiang A123 solid state battery

Recently, Wanxiang Group announced on WeChat platform that its A123 system company has invested in two companies focusing on solid electrolytes in the United States to expand its competitiveness in the field of solid-state batteries.

In addition to solid-state batteries, Wanxiang A123 also shined in the field of lithium iron phosphate and distributed energy storage in 2017. It is no exaggeration to say that such a universal A123 has completely shaken off the shadow of the American A123 and has lived a new style.

Back in July 2012, the international lithium electricity giant A123 systems companies in the United States under the background of the cumulative loss of about $700 million, filed for bankruptcy. The move marks the lithium electricity industry not only thoroughly into decline, also means that the lithium iron phosphate technical route was sentenced to death in the world.

Despite this, in view of the unparalleled accumulation of technology in the field of lithium batteries in the United States, there is still a wave of rushing to grab A123 in the world. On December 6, 2012, Wanxiang defeated US Johnson Controls, NEC and Siemens, and successfully acquired the entire shareholding of US lithium battery manufacturer A123 Systems for US$257 million.

At this point, the United States A123 becomes a universal A123.However, in the eyes of many in the industry, including the author, at this time of the universal A123 more only a shell of A123, the United States even said a kind of feelings, and the winner of lithium electricity bibcock eldest brother A123 already exist in name only, physical death way.

After the acquisition of A123, Wanxiang Group did not develop battery business with A123 as the core, but used this as a springboard to start a car-making dream. It is worth mentioning that Wanxiang's performance in the new energy vehicle sector is remarkable. It will not be described here. What is more interesting is that Wanxiang acquired Fiske ($1.4 billion) in 2014 with a low price of US$150 million. Build), its former battery supplier is the American A123.

Wanxiang’s dream of building a car has strengthened the argument that A123 is completely declining. Although Wanxiang A123 has often announced breakthroughs in the field of high-power batteries, in the lithium battery industry, the impression of Wanxiang A123 has always been unremarkable.

Until February 2017, Wanxiang A123 received an order for 2.6 million sets of 48-volt super lithium iron phosphate battery from SAIC-GM, with an order value of over US$1 billion. This made the industry people realize that A123 has never been declining. The long-term "quietness" is just a foreshadowing of its accumulation.

In fact, a $1 billion order is only a universal A123 to return to the top of a start. In December 2017, Wanxiang group's official website said in a news release, universal A123 was selected as gm/Saic gm BEV2 project power battery suppliers.

The BEV2 project for more than $500 million in long-term business, universal A123 has got gm/saic gm almost all types of battery business designated supplier qualification. Predicts 2020, universal will possess Saic gm battery total amount more than 85% market share.

Despite the Wanxiang group has been deleted the above information, gm also does not have to give confirmation, said Chinese power battery suppliers still under consideration, the current general motor in global supplier of power battery is still LG chem. But in combination with previous information, the personage inside course of study thinks universal as gm in mainland China has the very high possibility of power battery suppliers.

This means that the universal A123 is likely to be after the age of Ningde, and one of the foreign car companies supporting power battery of battery enterprises in China. The personage inside course of study says, A123 was alone in a leading position in the field of lithium iron phosphate, universal A123 lithium electricity industry has always been hidden big BOSS, with such a success, no surprise.

If universal A123, at this time is just on the basis of the original lithium iron phosphate lambe, based on the universal then block chain technology in distributed storage areas as, is thoroughly get rid of the shadow of American A123, and ushered in a new era of their own.

In May 2017, Wanxiang group, announced that it will invest 200 billion Yuan in the next 7 to 10 years, in Xiaoshan, Zhejiang province to build a new energy vehicles and related manufacturing as the core of 10 square kilometers of the digital city - the "universal innovation can gather city", and more unique is, block chain technology will play an important role in it.

Universal city shaped piece of chain scenarios include: the distributed energy system, citizenship and electric device ID is registered on the same book "Shared economy" mode, tracking power battery and secondary recycling used energy storage battery, intelligent manufacturing, pattern in dialogue, intelligent household and intelligent community service.

Quming Tao, vice president of Wanxiang Block chain, said that the combination of block chain and distributed energy storage will greatly improve the efficiency of the entire power grid. The national grid can solve 90% of the power generation, and the remaining 10% of the peak-filling parts can be solved by distributed generation.

Wanxiang's decision to distribute energy storage is far-sighted, because after half a year, Tesla, which has always been “first to be strong” in the energy field, has launched a pilot project to deploy distributed power assets in Australia. It is worth mentioning that the forward-looking vision of Wanxiang is also reflected in the layout of solid-state batteries under the name of “next-generation battery technology”.

Recently, Wanxiang Group announced on WeChat platform that its A123 system company invested in American ion materials Company to expand its competitiveness in the field of solid-state batteries. Before this, Wanxiang A123 also invested in another in September 2017. A company focused on solid-state batteries: Solid Power.

It is known that Ion Materials is a new materials technology company that has developed a special polymer electrolyte that will raise the safety and performance of new solid-state batteries to a whole new level. Its founder, Mike Zimmerman, said that it is expected to use A123's innovations in materials, cell design and manufacturing to enhance the safety of automotive power batteries.

Solid Power, a company specializing in solid-state batteries invested by Wanxiang A123, was established in 2012 and has developed a solid-state battery that is 2-3 times more powerful than conventional lithium batteries through a series of upgrades in technology and materials. It is worth mentioning that in December 2017, Solid Power also strategically cooperated with BMW to apply its solid-state battery to the BMW xEV series.

Lithium iron phosphate, distributed energy storage, solid-state batteries, Wanxiang's actions in the past year cannot be described as vast. The hidden big BOSS in the lithium battery industry has finally opened its mouth. With the foundation, vision and vitality, the author believes that under the leadership of such Wanxiang Group, the former lithium battery leader A123 will continue to write brilliantly in the new era.

The page contains the contents of the machine translation.