Japanese battery maker AESC has started mass production of its 46120 large cylindrical battery cells, which will support multiple BMW Group Neue Klasse models.

The BMW iX5 is the first model on BMW Group's Neue Klasse platform that has been announced as using the 46120 cells, the Yokohama-based company said. AESC did not identify the manufacturing sites where production has begun.

The cells measure 46 mm in diameter and 120 mm in height. AESC said the format increases usable energy per cell by nearly 30%, needs fewer components inside the battery pack, improves system integration efficiency and gives automakers more flexibility in vehicle packaging.

The cell is designed for premium electric vehicles (EVs), particularly larger sport utility vehicles (SUVs), with range, performance, safety and space requirements in mind. It uses a high-nickel cathode and silicon-doped anode and delivers energy density of up to 310 Wh/kg, the company said.

AESC said its production lines use more than 1,000 CCD vision-inspection checkpoints across the manufacturing process and 100% X-ray scanning for foreign-object detection in every cell. The company said a magnetic-levitation high-speed positioning and transfer system and high-precision processes enable dimensional accuracy within 0.01 mm.

“Years of R&D and manufacturing expertise have enabled the mass production and global rollout of our 46120 cells,” said David Wan, Global CEO of AESC. “Leading OEMs have placed high confidence in our product performance, quality systems, and ability to deliver at scale. With our advanced manufacturing capabilities and proven battery technologies, AESC will continue to support global customers in bringing more competitive next-generation electric vehicles to market.”

The company has manufacturing operations across mainland China, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Spain. Founded in Japan in 2007 and headquartered in Yokohama, AESC makes batteries for electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems.

AESC said its technology has powered more than 1.2 million EVs and has been deployed in more than 100 GWh of energy storage systems across 60 countries. Its customers include BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault, Envision Energy, Fluence and Nidec.

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