Samsung enters automotive sector, cooperates with electric car companies to develop batteries

Beijing time, December 8, according to the electrek website, Lucid Motors and Samsung claimed to have made a "breakthrough" in the field of battery technology, and the new batteries can be used in future electric vehicles.

Lucid, formerly known as the startup Atieva, has been on a roll in recent weeks. Last week, the company announced a deal with Arizona to build a $700 million electric vehicle manufacturing plant in the state in 2018.

In addition, the company announced yesterday that it has established a partnership with Samsung SDI to allow the latter to provide battery products for its pure electric sedans. Lucid and Samsung SDI claim that they are jointly developing a new battery cell. This new battery cell is described as "a next-generation cylindrical cell that can surpass the current battery industry performance benchmark in terms of energy density, power, life cycle and safety."

In a public statement, Albert Liu, head of Lucid’s battery technology department, said:

“I am very pleased with the results of our collaboration with Samsung SDI on battery chemistry. Through our collaboration, we have developed a battery cell that meets our stringent standards. Samsung SDI combined its in-house chemical expertise and extensive real-world data with advanced battery models provided by Lucid to develop a new battery cell with high energy density and resistance to fast charging damage.”

Similar to Lucid Electric Vehicles, there is another electric vehicle startup Faraday Future, whose factory in Nevada is currently under construction. Previously, Faraday Future also announced a cooperation agreement with LG, a South Korean battery manufacturer and Samsung's biggest competitor, in the field of battery manufacturing. In addition, Tesla and Panasonic have also begun manufacturing 2170 batteries at Tesla's Gigafactory.

Peter Rawlinson, Lucid’s chief technology officer and former chief engineer for the Tesla Model S electric car, said the new battery cell is a “breakthrough” for Lucid’s collaboration with Samsung SDI:

“The breakthrough in battery life cycle achieved by Samsung SDI’s newly developed battery cell means tangible benefits for our users, especially for ride-sharing companies that provide 24/7 services. I look forward to continued collaboration with Samsung SDI.”

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.