[Report] 'K-Battery' Filling from Mustang to Volvo Trucks... InterBattery New Technology Collection

Held for 3 Days from the 15th at COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Pre-registrations Reach 34,800... More Than Double Compared to Last Year

The largest domestic battery industry exhibition, 'InterBattery 2023,' featuring major battery companies such as LG Energy Solution, SK On, Samsung SDI, and POSCO Chemical, opened on the 15th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Battery companies showcased the latest technologies with next-generation batteries such as solid-state and lithium-sulfur, as well as new battery lineups including LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) and prismatic batteries.

This year marks the 11th edition of InterBattery. Under the theme "Batteries Connected to Everything," the event recorded its largest scale ever, with 477 companies and 1,400 booths participating. The number of pre-registrants reached 34,851, three times that of last year (9,623). InterBattery was hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and jointly organized by the Korea Battery Industry Association, COEX, and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

From SUVs to Electric Trucks... K-Battery in a Diversified Electric Vehicle Lineup

On the 15th, the electric car 'Lucid Air' was exhibited at the LG Energy Solution booth at InterBattery held in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jeong Dong-hoon

LG Energy Solution attracted attention by placing Ford's 'Mustang Mach-E' and electric vehicle startup Lucid Motors' 'Lucid Air' at the center of its exhibition booth. The Mustang Mach-E can travel up to approximately 500 km on a single charge. It is Ford's representative electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a flagship model leading Ford's transition to electric vehicles. It also symbolizes the partnership between LG Energy Solution and Ford.

The Lucid Air, a vehicle not yet released in Korea, was exhibited domestically exclusively for InterBattery. It is a luxury sedan introduced by Lucid Motors, a U.S. emerging electric vehicle company known as a "super rookie" in the EV market. This premium product boasts excellent performance and high output, equipped with LG Energy Solution's cylindrical batteries, which have solid technology and unique quality competitiveness.

On this day, LG Energy Solution also unveiled its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells for the first time. Compared to NCM (Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese) batteries, LFP batteries are more affordable and are widely applied to entry-level electric vehicles and ESS (Energy Storage System) batteries. LG Energy Solution plans to supply LFP batteries to the eco-friendly energy market by applying them to ESS. Additionally, they introduced freely bendable preform batteries and curved batteries used in virtual reality (VR) goggles.

Volvo's large electric truck 'FM Electric', introduced for the first time in Korea. It is equipped with 28,000 Samsung SDI 21700 cylindrical batteries. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

Samsung SDI exhibited the 'FM Electric' test vehicle, an electric truck developed by Volvo. This electric truck, unveiled for the first time in Korea, is equipped with 28,000 of Samsung SDI's 21700 cylindrical batteries, each the size of a finger. It uses high-nickel cathode material with 91% nickel content to achieve high output and high energy density. At the site, an event was held where visitors could listen to product explanations at five corners within the Samsung SDI booth (Mobility, Super-gap Technology, ESS, ESG, Small Batteries), collect stickers, and upon completion, experience riding a Volvo truck. A Samsung SDI booth official said, "By 11 a.m., just one hour after opening, over 200 visitors had already completed collecting stickers."

A crowd gathered from all directions to see the golden-colored solid-state battery model at the center of the booth. Samsung SDI is about to complete the only solid-state battery pilot line in Korea and will begin prototype sample production in the second half of this year. The front of the booth was arranged as an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) zone. When Vice Minister Jang Young-jin of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and industry CEOs toured the booths, Samsung SDI's ESG zone was introduced first. Energy storage systems (ESS) and power tools equipped with Samsung SDI batteries were also exhibited.

Samsung SDI President Choi Yoon-ho revealed plans to enter the LFP (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) battery market during a press conference immediately after the regular shareholders' meeting. President Choi said, "We consider LFP as one of the important platforms," adding, "Since diversity in business is important in the future, we are also diligently preparing LFP batteries."

SK On Unveils New Prismatic Form Factor; POSCO Chemical Emphasizes Entire Battery Value Chain

Prismatic battery exhibited by SK On. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

SK On, which has only produced pouch-type batteries, unveiled prismatic NCM (Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese) batteries for the first time at this exhibition. It is the first among the three major domestic battery companies to manufacture both prismatic and pouch-type NCM batteries. This product also won the Best Innovation Award at the U.S. CES earlier this year. An SK On official said, "Once we enter mass production after thorough consultation with customers, we will become the first manufacturer capable of multi-form-factor NCM batteries."

Practitioners from Volkswagen, one of SK On's three major customers, also visited the SK On booth and showed interest in the prismatic batteries. They stayed for about 20 minutes, asking questions such as when production could begin. A Volkswagen battery supply management official who visited the booth said to an SK On representative, "We are very interested in prismatic batteries," adding, "We are focusing on a partnership with SK On."

SK On also showcased cobalt-free (Co-Free) batteries that completely exclude cobalt and LFP batteries. An SK On official explained, "The reason NCM batteries are expensive is due to lithium and cobalt," adding, "Through cobalt-free technology, we can gain a price competitiveness advantage."

As the only company in Korea producing both cathode and anode materials, POSCO Chemical organized its exhibition booth to allow visitors to directly observe various battery materials, the value chain, and next-generation technologies. Considering the trend of battery material products becoming more segmented according to electric vehicle performance improvements and customer demand, they introduced a full portfolio covering the entire range of cathode and anode products.

On the 15th, actual samples of battery cathode materials such as SAM and SAWON batteries, as well as lithium and precursors, were exhibited at the POSCO Chemical booth at InterBattery held in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jeong Dong-hoon

POSCO Chemical showcased high-nickel cathode materials with increased energy density, lithium iron phosphate cathode materials for affordable electric vehicles, and cobalt-free and high-manganese cathode materials with enhanced price competitiveness by increasing the proportion of nickel and manganese instead of cobalt. They also introduced the development status of high-performance cathode materials for solid-state batteries and lithium metal anode materials that can improve electric vehicle safety.

Natural graphite, artificial graphite, low-expansion anode materials, and silicon anode technology under development as next-generation materials were also exhibited. Additionally, POSCO Group's multi-material battery pack was introduced. Multi-material refers to combining different types of materials to develop high-strength and lightweight materials. POSCO Group has developed battery packs composed of steel and aluminum to improve electric vehicle driving range and safety.

On the third floor of the venue, a job fair was held for job seekers aspiring to work in the secondary battery industry. Consultations continued well past the event's closing time of 5 p.m. LG Energy Solution provided about 20 minutes of consultation per job seeker, counseling a total of approximately 36 candidates. Park Tae-ho, Senior Manager of LG Energy Solution's Future Capability Acquisition Team, who served as a mentor that day, said, "I share what to emphasize more in self-introductions based on my hiring experience and explain insights gained while working in the field," adding, "From the applicants' perspective, advice from seniors currently working in the industry is very helpful." Samsung SDI held employment briefings divided by chemical and biological engineering (bachelor's) and mechanical engineering (master's). Samsung SDI closed its first half new employee recruitment document submission at 3 p.m. that day.

Vice Minister Jang Young-jin of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated at the opening ceremony, "We plan to invest 30 trillion won in the battery sector by 2026 and leap to become the world's number one battery producer by 2030." He added, "We will invest significant resources in technology development to secure a super-gap in technology," and "The public and private sectors will actively respond to securing critical minerals and trade issues."

The opening ceremony was attended by Vice Minister Jang, COEX President Lee Dong-gi, KOTRA President Yoo Jung-yeol, SK On President Choi Young-chan, LG Energy Solution President Lee Bang-su, Samsung SDI Vice President Son Mikael, POSCO Chemical President Kim Jun-hyung, LS Electric President Kim Jong-woo, Korea Zinc Vice President Jang Sa-beom, Korea Institute for Industrial Technology Evaluation and Planning President Jeon Yoon-jong, and Korea Electronics Technology Institute President Shin Hee-dong, among others.