South Korean component maker ITM Semiconductor is supplying the protection circuit used in Apple’s latest AirPods, TheElec has learned.It is the South Korean firm’s second deal with Cupertino since 2019 when it supplied such circuits for AirPods Pro.ITM beat Japan’s MinebeaMitsumi and Taiwan’s Compe

SK Innovation said on Thursday that it will invest US$30 million into US solid-state battery firm Solid Power.The pair will collaborate to develop and manufacture solid-state batteries.They will aim to develop a product with an energy density of 930Wh/L, which will be 30% higher than existing lithiu

LG Energy Solution has been facing difficulty in applying a new production process at its battery factory at Nanjing, China.The company has effectively given up on applying laser notching to the production line there.It had canceled its contract with DE&T, which supplies the laser notching equipment

EcoPro EM, the joint venture between Samsung SDI and EcoPro BM, has started the operation of its new cathode factory.The company said on Thursday that CAM6 at Pohang city has started operation. The factory is commencing trial runs and full production will begin during the first quarter of 2022.EcoPr

Posco Chemical said on Thursday in its preliminary guidance that it is expecting sales of 505 billion won and 31.5 billion won in operating income in the third quarter.Sales and operating income increased 29.9% and 62.4% from a year ago.Posco Chemical said it saw solid sales increase in all of its b

Image: TheElecMore and more South Korean battery production equipment makers are expanding into the battery material market.As battery cell makers wrapping up their latest facility expansions, these companies are hoping to supply them with materials for new sales.Such companies include Cowin Tech, Y

The top ten lithium-ion battery production equipment companies based on revenue for 2020 included five from China and three from South Korea, according to analyst firm QYResearch Korea.China’s Wuxi Lead was the top vendor, while South Korea’s PNT ranked second place.Yinghe Technology, CHR, Blue Key

Battery prices going down will be the precondition for electric vehicle sales to expand, according to a CEO of an analyst firm.SNE Research CEO Kim Kwangju, speaking at the firm’s event called KABC 2021 in Seoul, South Korea, stressed that automobile brands such as Volkswagen, Stellantis and Tesla h

The vice chairman of non-iron metal smelting firm Korea Zinc is visiting Europe to secure battery materials, TheElec has learned.Vice chairman Choi Yun-birm, who is also the third-generation heir to the company’s founder, has left for Geneva, Switzerland.He will likely meet with executives of Vitol,

Hyundai Motor has begun the development of electric vehicles powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to launch outside of China, TheElec has learned.The South Korean automobile giant so far only manufactured electric vehicles that use LFP batteries in China.Hyundai Motor began the developm

SK On, the battery business unit of SK Innovation, is considering developing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, its CEO told Reuters.The South Korean battery maker is considering developing LFP batteries for specific applications such as low-priced vehicles, SK On CEO Jee Dong-seob said."There

The financial crisis of China’s Evergrande Group is expected to impact the businesses of some South Korean battery equipment makers.The group formed a subsidiary called Yangzhou Evergrande Neoenergy Technology Development in 2019 to expand into the electric vehicle industry.This company had signed m

Samsung will procure batteries for the upcoming Galaxy S22 smartphones series from both China’s Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) and Samsung SDI, TheElec has learned.Batteries from both companies will be used in the initial batch of the phones, sources said.The Chinese company was once removed from

SK Innovation said on Tuesday that it will spend 5.1 trillion won through its joint venture with Ford to expand battery production in the US.Blue Oval SK is expected to produce double the amount of batteries than initially expected, the South Korean energy company said.Spending will be done sequenti

A total of 506,000 units if electric vehicles (EV) were sold in August, EV Volumes said.The analyst firm said the total figure is likely higher than 510,000 units when including countries it couldn’t get data on, which will be double of that from a year ago.Over half of the total, 260,000 units, wer

SK Innovation and EcoPro have started discussions to form a joint venture in the US, TheElec has learned.The venture will produce battery cathode materials and conduct battery recycling businesses, people familiar with the matter said.How many shares of the venture each will have is yet to determine

WCP is planning for an IPO next year. But its parent company W-Scope’s patent lawsuit with Japan’s Asahi Kasei will likely dictate how successful going public will be.The Japanese company filed the lawsuit against W-Scope last year in January in South Korea.Asahi Kasei is hoping to stop W-Scope from

SK Innovation said on Thursday that it held an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting that approved the split of its battery and petrochemical businesses.The new companies are tentatively called SK Battery and SK E&P and will inaugurate on October 1.The motion received 80.2% approval from shareholders,

Samsung SDI is reviewing potential ways to secure funding to invest in its battery business.It is reviewing the possibility of splitting off the battery business, called Energy Solution business by the firm.The plan was discussed in a recent meeting between key executives, sources within the company

Onejoon said on Tuesday that it plans to use the fund it secures from its IPO to research silicon anode and carbon fiber processing technologies.The company manufactures thermal kilns used in battery production as well as develops production processes for battery materials.It offers roller hearth ki