Industry Leader Advances Mass Production of Large Cylindrical Batteries

On September 28, EVE Energy stated on an investor interaction platform that the company's first large cylindrical production line was completed at the end of last year. In the first half of this year, the 1 millionth battery came off the line. Through the production of these 1 million batteries, the company resolved the producibility issues of mass-producing large cylindrical batteries. The product has successfully entered the "C-sample" phase, with one customer already completing the PPAP review and entering the mass production stage. EVE Energy anticipates that from the third quarter of this year, mass production delivery will commence.

Generally speaking, lithium batteries can be categorized into three forms based on packaging: square, cylindrical, and pouch. Previously, the square form was the mainstream in China. However, after Tesla launched the 4680 battery in 2020, many battery manufacturers started venturing into large cylindrical batteries. In March of this year, Robin Zeng, the chairman of CATL, revealed that due to specific requirements of some customers, the company successfully developed large cylindrical batteries like 4680 and 4695. Currently, CATL has not further disclosed progress on large cylindrical batteries.

According to incomplete statistics from reporters, leading domestic battery companies such as CATL, EVE Energy, Great Power, Gotion, Hithium, and BAK have all made moves in the large cylindrical battery sector.

Industry insiders say that large cylindrical batteries have advantages such as high energy density, low cost, and good power performance. They possess superiority in materials and structural processes. However, the manufacturing process for large cylindrical batteries is complex, and the industry is still in the exploration phase.

Zhang Xiang, the Dean of the New Energy Automotive Technology Research Institute at Jiangxi New Energy Technology Vocational College, told Securities Daily reporters: "Tesla's 4680 battery model is still in the technical breakthrough and capacity ramp-up phase. Collaboration between automakers and battery manufacturers in research and development is an industry trend. Currently, under the leadership of leading companies, China's power battery technology is developing rapidly. Considering the technological processes and commercial scenarios of mass-producing large cylindrical batteries, the domestic battery layout, which is mainly square batteries, may continue.