(Credit: Robert Bosch GmbH)Robert Bosch GmbH and the Japanese companies GS Yuasa International Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corporation have set up a joint venture, Lithium Energy and Power GmbH & Co. KG, to develop next-generation lithium-ion battery technology that will double EV battery capacity.
“In setting up this joint venture, we want to achieve nothing less than a giant leap forward in the development of battery technology. Our aim is to make lithium-ion batteries twice as efficient,” says Dr. Volkmar Denner, who, as chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, is responsible for research and development.
For electric vehicles, more efficient batteries will mean greater range. For consumers, the car will also be more affordable, since the rechargeable batteries can be smaller. Robert Bosch GmbH and its partners are confident that electromobility will become a mass market from 2020 onward.
The joint venture Lithium Energy and Power GmbH & Co. KG was set up in June 2013 and will start operations this year. Bosch holds a 50 percent stake with GS Yuasa International Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corporation each holding 25 percent.
Bosch will support these joint activities with its portfolio of components for electromobility. With its competence in the area of battery packs and battery management systems, Bosch specializes in the monitoring and control of cells and complete systems, as well as in integrating them into vehicles. In addition, it will contribute its know-how in production processes and quality management relating to the large-scale series production of complex products.
GS Yuasa will contribute its experience in manufacturing lithium-ion battery cells whose high density makes for a longer range, as well as its expertise in materials systems and electrochemistry. As a manufacturer of automotive and non-automotive lithium-ion battery cells, GS Yuasa has a strong engineering team and modern production lines with a high level of automation.
Mitsubishi Corporation will contribute its global sales network and experience as an integrated global business enterprise. In addition, Mitsubishi will use its strengths in the establishment of global value-added chains—which include raw materials, semi-finished products, and marketing—to take the joint venture forward.
