ECN News reports demand for lead-acid batteries is healthy in a post titled ‘Lead-Acid Batteries Thrive Amidst Competition from Lithium-ion’. Our industry maintains a 75% share by volume, with total turnover growing 6% year-on-year. While it’s true our products are unsuitable for micro-electronics, our industry is making inroads into battery storage where we believe our solid reliability will win the day.
Demand for Lead-Acid Batteries Follows Cost Effectiveness
Lithium-ion may offer higher density and performance, although the possibility of rolling thermal runaways cannot be denied. Whereas ECN News says lead-acid batteries come first with reliability, cost-effectiveness, and extensive supply chains.
Advanced Battery Concepts’ Ed Shaffer says lead-acid has a high rate of recycling at over 90 percent. This far exceeds lithium, which has yet to develop a commercially viable infrastructure. He says lead-acid volume stands at over 367 GWh. And lithium batteries would have to double forecasts to stand a chance of beating demand for lead-acid batteries. Moreover environmental impacts will play an increasing role in consumer decisions.
This Neat Video Explains Auto Lead Starter Batteries
Lead-Acid Technology is Advancing All the Time
Craig Rigby, vice president of technology for Johnson Controls’ Power Solutions Group was on point when he spoke at the Battery Show. He explained how lead-acid batteries “are also advancing to keep up with recent technologies incorporated into vehicles.”
Moreover, “start-stop batteries will become the new baseline for lead-acid,” he maintained. Here, he was referring to the growth of batteries for vehicles whose engines shut off when they stop moving. Furthermore, lead-acid suppliers are working hard to improve their products’ performance.
Boris Monahov of Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium motivated the possibility of lead-acid and lead-carbon batteries muscling into hybrid electric vehicles. Demand for lead-acid batteries seems set to grow in the face of these new initiatives. We watch this space with interest.
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Preview Image: Battery Research at U.S. Department of Energy
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