Samsung Showcases Innovative Battery Products at Detroit Show

Samsung SDI President Jun Young-hyun announced that the company has developed a brand new fast-charging, high-capacity battery material as well as path-breaking battery products for EVs that it is showcasing at the ongoing 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

The tagline for SDI’s booth at the 2018 Detroit Motor Show is “Future Starts Today,” and clearly points to the idea that in future electric vehicles will enjoy the same level of popularity that internal combustion engine vehicles have now. The company’s booth at the show is devoted to three themes – “Extend Your Journey,” “Redefine Your Design” and “Enjoy Your Ride.”
Samsung SDI has a wide range of battery cells for EVs and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) which have capacities ranging from 37 and 50 ampere hours to 60 and 94 ampere hours. Some of the battery cells have energy densities that are high enough to provide EVs with a range of 600 kilometers after charging for just 20 minutes. Samsung also displayed modules and packs for housing these battery cells thus highlighting its capabilities as a total solution provider. Another development Samsung featured at the show was the new technology of “graphene balls,” a unique material that can ramp up battery capacity by 45 percent and charging speed by as much as five times. SDI has also ventured into “solid-state batteries,” a technology that is slated to increase both the capacity and safety of the company’s batteries. A team of scientists working at the Samsung Advanced Institute and Technology came up with the concept of “graphene balls” and this was even covered in the November 2017 edition of the science journal Nature Communications.

Vehicle manufacturers looking for EV batteries that have been tailored for their specific requirements will also find joy at the Samsung booth as the company has multi-functional module battery packs which allow users to adjust the number of modules depending on the capacity they need and thus decrease or increase the range. Automakers can use these packs to make vehicles with different ranges.
Another Samsung innovation that will attract attention from automakers is the “Low Height Cell”, a cell whose height has been reduced by more than 20 percent from existing cells. Using such a cell design will give vehicle manufacturers the flexibility to increase the interior space of an EV.

Samsung SDI also displayed cells and modules based on the new 21700 standard cylindrical battery, which is 21 millimeters in diameter and 70 millimeters in height. Its capacity is 50 percent larger than 18650 battery technology and the size is optimal for maximizing power output as well as battery life. Recently, the 21700 battery has gained greater acceptance as the next-generation standard for applications in Energy Storage Systems (ESS), electric power tools and electric vehicles.

“We will lead the popularization of electric vehicles by developing products based on cutting-edge technology which will in an optimum manner meet the needs of our customers and the market,” Jeong Seh-woong, executive vice president of automotive business and ESS business of Samsung SDI, said. “We will continue to lead global market as the world’s top technology company providing total solutions for EV battery applications.