Technology Used in the Prismatic Battery Sector
Development and Production of High-Capacity, High-Power Batteries for EVs and ESS
LG Energy Solution has achieved a third consecutive victory in its patent dispute with Chinese battery manufacturer Sunwoda. A German court has ordered strict measures against Sunwoda, which was found to have infringed on LG Energy Solution's core battery technology patents, including a sales ban.
On July 24, Tulip Innovation, LG Energy Solution's patent licensing and litigation agency, announced that it had won a patent infringement lawsuit against Sunwoda regarding battery structure. The German court ordered Sunwoda to: ban the sale of batteries using the relevant technology within Germany; recall and dispose of remaining batteries; provide related accounting data; and take compensatory measures.
The patent that the German court ruled Sunwoda had infringed is the "electrode assembly structure patent." This technology, developed by LG Energy Solution, forms an integrated electrode assembly that ensures the stacked electrode layers remain firmly bonded without separation by utilizing a coated separator.
This technology is reportedly widely used in the "prismatic battery" sector, an area where Chinese companies are focusing their efforts. Furthermore, it is broadly applied in the development and production of high-power, high-capacity batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems (ESS).
The German court determined that Sunwoda's prismatic batteries installed in the electric vehicle "Dacia Spring" infringed on LG Energy Solution's core lithium-ion battery technology patents.
This victory marks the third successful judgment for LG Energy Solution in its patent lawsuits against Sunwoda. Previously, in May, LG Energy Solution and Tulip Innovation also won two lawsuits regarding separator SRS coating patent infringement against Sunwoda, resulting in the first sales ban ruling within Germany's electric vehicle battery industry.
Sunwoda, established in 1997, is a Chinese company specializing in lithium-ion batteries, producing batteries for electric vehicles and ESS. According to SNE Research, Sunwoda ranked 10th globally in electric vehicle battery market share last year, and supplies batteries to automakers such as Geely Auto, Renault-Nissan, and Dongfeng Motor.
A representative from LG Energy Solution stated, "We have already discovered numerous cases where proprietary technologies have been infringed in competitor products that are already commercialized and sold in the market, ranging from small batteries to medium and large batteries for electric vehicles." The representative added, "We plan to lead the establishment of a rational licensing market in order to protect proprietary technologies and foster a fair competitive environment in the market."
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