Samsung SDI has stated that it has secured a supply order for local car maker Anh ui Jianghuai Automobile Company (JAC; South Korea) in China. The South Korean firm will supply cylindrical batteries for JAC's new electric vehicle (EV), the iEV65. Samsung SDI's CEO, Nam-Seong Cho, stated that, "China's electric-vehicle market is rapidly growing, and since it is crucial to maintain our position as a leading manufacturer, we are supplying cylindrical 18650 batteries along with the existing squared ones… We will aggressively respond to the demands of Chinese customers, and target from various angles". JAC has signed a supply agreement for 50 million battery cells from Samsung SDI for 2016.
Significance: The JAC iEV65 is a sport utility vehicle (SUV) which will be fitted with the 18650 cylindrical battery from SDI. The JAC iEV65 SUV will be loaded with 3,000 of the 18650 battery cells, supplied from the company's plant in Cheonan in South Korea, as well as its plant in Tianjin in China. Tesla (US) also uses the cylindrical 18650 battery cells for its EVs, the company stated, adding that over half of the EVs now produced in China have also begun to favour the index-finger sized 18650 cells, which were previously used principally in laptops and cordless drills.
