[Report] K-Cylindrical Created Through Competition... The Future Shown by the 'Battery 3 Companies' Battle

Three Major Korean Battery Makers Unveil 46-Pie Cylindrical Cells
Achieving Both Stability and Cost-Effectiveness
Efficiently Responding to Diverse Customer Demands

"Our 46-pie (46mm diameter) cylindrical battery features a thick can structure that combines both stability and cost-effectiveness."

On the afternoon of the 6th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, at the 'InterBattery 2025' event, an employee at the LG Energy Solution booth enthusiastically explained the strengths of the 46-pie cylindrical battery series. The 46-pie cylindrical battery was the industry's first product unveiled at this year's event. Cylindrical batteries had been overlooked in the past due to inefficiencies caused by gaps between cells. However, with Tesla's 4680 (46mm diameter, 80mm height) production in 2023, it has emerged as a 'game changer' in the industry. At this event, all three major battery companies (LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, SK On) competitively showcased 46-pie batteries in line with global trends.

On the 5th, many visitors lined up to enter 'InterBattery 2025' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. 2025.03.05 Photo by Yoon Dong-joo

Compared to early cylindrical batteries, the 46-pie battery is much larger in size, allowing it to have higher energy capacity in the same amount of time and produce more energy on the same production line, making it an economically efficient product. Although high-density batteries inherently tend to be less stable, each company has reportedly invested considerable effort in designing and developing materials that increase capacity and density while simultaneously ensuring stability.

On this day, LG Energy Solution showcased its 46-series cylindrical cells and pack solutions. The first thing that caught the eye upon entering the booth was a car with its body removed. Looking inside, there was packaging technology never seen before. Dozens of cylindrical cells were densely arranged. An LG Energy Solution booth employee explained, "The tubes surrounding the spaces between cells are designed to allow coolant to flow through, maximizing cooling efficiency and preventing thermal runaway between cells through structural rigidity." He added, "They can be stacked vertically or horizontally, allowing optimization for the customer's pack structure."

LG Energy Solution's 46-series is roughly four times larger than the existing 2170 battery. The employee said, "The 46-series battery is being developed to increase energy density and battery capacity by raising the nickel content," adding, "It has the advantage of simplifying the battery pack structure and reducing the number of cells while still providing customers with high energy efficiency."

Samsung SDI's 46-pi series battery unveiled at InterBattery 2025. The height has been diversified to meet various customer demands. Photo by Sim Seong-a

Samsung SDI, which had focused on prismatic battery production, is set to release the first and highest output 50Å (ampere) cylindrical battery in the second quarter of this year. This battery lacks the typical tabs found at both ends of conventional batteries. This so-called 'tabless' design secures maximum output performance. A Samsung SDI booth employee said, "When using the battery in power tools, efficiency improved by about 40% compared to before."

The previous day, Samsung SDI CEO Choi Ju-seon announced that mass production of the 46-pie battery would begin in the first quarter. The 46-pie batteries exhibited this time included four products?'4680, 4695, 46100, 46120'?all with a 46mm diameter but varying heights. A booth employee said, "We diversified our lineup to supply batteries optimized for customer demands."

At the SK On booth, a strategy to diversify form factors (product shapes) was also evident. SK On, which mainly produces pouch-type batteries, showcased three form factors: prismatic, cylindrical, and pouch. The company accelerated research and development after completing a cylindrical pilot line in the second half of last year. An SK On booth employee explained, "Because customer needs vary depending on vehicle types and other factors, we are developing to respond more effectively with customized driving range and battery pack sizes."

Marking its 13th year, InterBattery 2025 was held on the largest scale ever, with 688 companies participating and 2,330 booths set up. Pre-registered attendees numbered 50,000, a 14% increase from about 43,000 last year, and the number of visitors by the second day of the exhibition was counted at 46,801.