InoBat orders battery cells from Taiwan
The Slovakian company InoBat Auto will have its battery cells for electric cars produced in Taiwan in the future. This is made possible by a cooperation with the local battery manufacturer GUS Technology, which will manufacture the cells on behalf of InoBat in its new production plant in Taiwan.
According to an announcement by InoBat, the GUS plant in Taiwan is to go into operation in the fourth quarter of 2023 with an annual capacity of one GWh. How much of this is reserved for the Slovakian company’s cells is not clear from the press release. InoBat only states that the agreement is to meet demand for its own batteries until the factory in Slovakia reaches full capacity.
GUS is presented by InoBat as a manufacturer founded in 2017 with a focus on pouch cells with NCM or LTO chemistry, modules and battery packs. The Taiwanese company is said to already supply “LTO cells to well-known customers in the Asia-Pacific region”. In addition to e-vehicles, GUS’s customised battery packs are also suitable for stationary energy storage systems, it says.
This is important in that InoBat and GUS also want to pave the way for each other to access their respective markets: Thus, CIS is to support InoBat from Taiwan in gaining a foothold in the Asia-Pacific region and, vice versa, InoBat is to help CIS open up the European markets – “especially with a focus on stationary energy storage systems and AGVs”, the Slovakian company specified. AGV stands for “Automated Guided Vehicles”, i.e. autonomous transport vehicles.
InoBat CEO Marian Bocek describes both partners as pioneers in the field of battery technology and considers the agreement “mutually beneficial”. InoBat’s business model is based on quickly developing customised battery solutions for customer vehicles. This is currently being done on the basis of the company’s first generation of battery cells. This is an NCM622 pouch cell. Compared to a benchmark cell from Asia, it is said to be able to charge from five to 80 per cent 25 per cent faster, have a 20 per cent longer service life and offer 28 per cent better capacity retention at -20 degrees Celsius.