Panasonic phasing out of Cylindrical Battery Business

Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Messages
227
Location
NW PA.
That is what the OWNER of one of my favorite battery dealers told me yesterday.

He said they[Panasonic/Sanyo] Officially are already out but continue to make much smaller quantities of cells for their battery pack customers.

Anyone else heard about this. It was surprising to me. I could not find any other info. on it.

 

sp4zz

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 7, 2018
Messages
1
There was a tiny bit of some similar rumors floating around one of the smaller high end vaping forums (I can't remember which one right now) about Panasonic leaving the battery business a while ago, but I took it with a grain a salt back then, but who knows, maybe it wasn't just talk. Panasonic batts don't get used nearly as much as some of the other brands out there in vaping mods, so like I say, I didn't think much of it then. I keep a pretty big web history, so I may try and find the thread again and see if there was any worthwhile information posted or any updates, and if so, will report back.
 

SubLGT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
1,183
Location
Idaho, USA
Panasonic is currently manufacturing millions of 21700 cylindrical cells for Tesla. So I doubt they are exiting the business.
 
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Messages
227
Location
NW PA.
I guess we will see.I am just relaying info. I will ask Jon about Tesla,,,,,,,,,,,,,possibly he was specifically talking about 18650,,,,,,,,,,,,but he did not mention that in his long and detailed email.
 
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Messages
227
Location
NW PA.
Another thought,,Maybe they[TESLA] are the battery pack customers he was talking about? I just emailed him,,,,,,will find out his answer to your Tesla info. on Monday.
 

SubLGT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
1,183
Location
Idaho, USA
The cell suppliers, like Panasonic, Samsung, LG, etc definitely do not want their cylindrical cells to be used individually in a device like a flashlight or e-cig. So maybe Panasonic will do all they can to restrict use of the cells to battery packs. Sony has already exited the cylindrical LI-ion cell business.
 
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Messages
227
Location
NW PA.
The cell suppliers, like Panasonic, Samsung, LG, etc definitely do not want their cylindrical cells to be used individually in a device like a flashlight or e-cig. So maybe Panasonic will do all they can to restrict use of the cells to battery packs.

That may be true. He also mentioned how hard[ basically have to beg] it is to get these batteries from the battery pack customers.
 
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Messages
227
Location
NW PA.
He just replied back and basically said that to his understanding the 21700 can not really be used outside of EV's since they do not have the normal safety mechanisms incorporated.

Also said that, yes they are focusing ALL their production on these special partnership cells for automotive applications. None of those will likely ever get on the market loose.
 

SubLGT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
1,183
Location
Idaho, USA
Holy &^&^%$ if this is true.
China, and Chinese companies, are being very aggressive about becoming the world's leader in battery manufacturing and research.

Just one example:
http://www.scmp.com/tech/science-re...attery-maker-will-soon-surpass-tesla-capacity

...Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd, or CATL, already sells the most batteries to the biggest electric-vehicle makers in the biggest EV market: China. Now it wants to use proceeds from a pending initial public offering backed by Goldman Sachs to get under the hoods of more European marques and secure customers in the US....

..."Their intentions are very clear," said Simon Moores, London-based managing director of battery sector consultant Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. "To not just be China's biggest battery producer but the world's largest."...

...Menahem Anderman, president of Total Battery Consulting in Petaluma, California, went to see CATL's headquarters for himself in January and found a company in the process of becoming a world-class battery maker. "Technically they are a probably a tad behind the big three," he said, citing Panasonic, Samsung SDI and LG Chem. "But considering how fast they have been moving, it's reasonable to assume that in two to three years they'll have a technically similar product."...
 

MarioJP

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Messages
933
I really hope this is a rumor. No way this can't be true. That's like saying alkalines or AA is going to be phased out.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
3,967
Location
Canada
I recently ordered a bunch of 18650 cells which I put in long-term storage in the refrigerator. I only see the problem of obtaining/shipping lithium-ion cells getting worse in the future.
 

MarioJP

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Messages
933
I don't think that is going to happen. If anything. Lithium ion in the future may at last be safe once the new and improved cells comes to market.

I have yet to see a confimation of Panasonic phasing out. If anything, Elon Musk is demanding more lithium ion for his Tesla cars.

Quite frankly, i can't just see this happening. What the market really wants is to make lithium ions to be as safe as NiMh. More the reason to keep researching on battery tech.
 

SubLGT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
1,183
Location
Idaho, USA
...We are 40 years head of China in batteries, don't worry about it.

In manufacturing, China is way ahead of the USA.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-28/china-is-about-to-bury-elon-musk-in-batteries

While Tesla may be building the biggest and splashiest factory, the Chinese government has launched a sweeping effort to increase the country's dominant market share.

Roughly 55 percent of global lithium-ion battery production is already based in China, compared with 10 percent in the U.S. By 2021, China's share is forecast to grow to 65 percent, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

"This is about industrial policy. The Chinese government sees lithium-ion batteries as a hugely important industry in the 2020s and beyond," Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Colin McKerracher said.

Yet while China lacks a dominant battery behemoth, it makes up for it with a constellation of smaller players, including Amperex Technology Ltd., Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-Stock Co. and dozens of others.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government announced plans to consolidate battery manufacturers to help the industry mature.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
3,967
Location
Canada
I don't think that is going to happen. If anything. Lithium ion in the future may at last be safe once the new and improved cells comes to market.

Maybe. But will future cells still have the same characteristics, size, and voltage of current 18650 cells we need for our flashlights? Or will they be dumbed-down for consumer use?
 
Top