LG Chem #1 EV Battery Manufacturer In New Navigant Research Ranking

BYD and AESC have certain advantages in the EV battery realm, but Panasonic, Samsung SDI, and LG Chem are widely regarded as the leaders in this realm. A new report from Navigant Research puts LG Chem at the top. Will we get as much slack from Panasonic & Tesla lovers as we did when Lux Research argued that LG Chem could surpass Panasonic at the top, and when LG Chem itself claimed it was #1. Also, note that Navigant Research previously ranked LG Chem & Samsung SDI closer together, and had Panasonic much further down… meanwhile, Panasonic has actually been the largest producer of EV batteries. Anyhow, for more on the new report, check out the EV Obsession article republished below. —Zach Shahan

Navigant Research Names LG Chem As Top Automotive Lithium-Ion Battery Company

LG Chem has been named by the most recent Navigant Research Leaderboard report on automotive lithium-ion battery companies as the top company in the market.

The report — which ranks companies based on strategy and execution — saw the top position, held by LG Chem, followed by positions held by Panasonic and Samsung SDI. All three hold a clear lead above other players in the market.

The report also features a second category full of “Contenders” — which is to say, companies that are well placed for future moves owing to staying power in the market and large financial reserves. This secondary list includes: BYD, AESC, A123, and Johnson Controls.

There’s a third category as well — “Challengers” — which features Lithium Energy Japan this year.

Green Car Congress provides more:

Navigant projects the global market for Li-ion batteries for HEVs and PEVs will grow at a 2015-2020 compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.9% in terms of energy capacity to 61.3 GWh. The majority (72%) of demand for Li-ion electric vehicle (EV) batteries will come from battery electric vehicles (BEVs) due to the larger battery packs typical of those vehicle types.

Navigant Research anticipates the emergence of two separate BEV market segments over the next 5 years: One segment focused on the premium vehicle sector with large energy capacity and longer-range battery packs; A second segment with lower capacity, shorter range, and a lower-cost class of battery packs.

The companies evaluated were subjected to a 12-point base of criteria that included: “vision; go-to market strategy; partners; production strategy; technology; geographic reach; sales, marketing, and distribution; product performance; product quality and reliability; product portfolio; pricing; and staying power.”