Sony To Make Electric Vehicle Batteries

It’s more or less happening, officially and finally, Sony will start to make lithium-ion batteries for electrified vehicles. The Japanese electronics conglomerate was the first to commercialize lithium-ion batteries as far back as 1991 before the electronic devices boom happened.

Even though there are already existing players like LG Chem, Samsung SDI, Panasonic and Sanyo, Sony’s entry isn’t seen to dilute a market which is expected to grow quickly. Furthermore, these existing battery manufacturers have practically maximized their production capacity at least for the next few years.

Sony’s new lithium-ion cell, the VC7, is expected to be available soon. With a capacity of 3,500 mAh and compact size, it is said to match the capacity of the other major manufacturers like LG and Sanyo and can easily fit into any battery pack while being lightweight.

By 2020, Sony aims to commercialize new batteries for smart devices and electric vehicles. These batteries are expected to be high-capacity lithium-sulfur and magnesium-sulfur batteries.

In the meantime, the company is also interested in bidding to supply batteries for the FIA Formula E in 2018. Sony is one of nine companies (including Panasonic) bidding for the battery supply contract. Better batteries will benefit this single-seat electric car racing series as currently the drivers need to change cars to finish the race.