Next-Generation Batteries Market

Next-Generation Batteries Market Overview

Batteries are considered amongst the most remarkable man-made inventions in history and have been the focus of intense investigation by both scientists and engineers across the globe. Evolving from the primitive Voltaic Pile (the first electrical battery created in 1799), which used zinc and copper electrodes and brine-soaked paper as an electrolyte, a wide range of batteries are now available in the market. Amongst these, lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have long been considered a breakthrough in the battery landscape, resulting in revolutionary growth in the chargeable consumer electronics industry. It is estimated that, at present, more than one billion rechargeable Li-ion cells are produced each year to cater to the demands of the portable electronics market alone. However, despite thier successful market deployment, excellent energy density and cost-effectiveness, certain limitations, such as concerns related to the use of liquid electrolytes (risk of leakage and flammability), have also been associated with Li-ion batteries. A case-in-point being Samsung’s massive global recall of its Galaxy Note 7 series of mobile phones in September 2016, due to the safety issues associated with the Li-ion batteries used in them.

It is also worth highlighting that a wide variety of niche and disparate application areas, such as miniature medical devices, smart wearables, wireless sensors / IoT devices, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, powered smart cards, cosmetic patches, smart labels / packaging, electric / hybrid vehicles, and energy storage systems have surfaced in the past few years. Most of these advanced technology-enabled applications require new form factors and designs that conventional Li-ion batteries are unable to provide, pertaining to their size and safety limitations. These drawbacks have opened the door to immense innovation opportunities and added a new dimension to the competition amongst global battery developers, resulting in the establishment of next-generation battery technologies.

In contrast to the conventional Li-ion batteries, next-generation product chemistries, which include lithium polymer, printed, solid-state, thin film and ultra-thin films batteries, have been proven to be safe under abusive conditions, demonstrated significant improvements in terms of overall performance, and are environmental-friendly. Moreover, owing to their flexible form factor, it is believed that these batteries can offer virtually limitless flexibility in term of design, materials and construction. At about 1/10th of the thickness of the thinnest prismatic liquid Li-ion cells, next-generation batteries have demonstrated significant potential to serve various upcoming markets. As a result, these batteries have captured the interest of several stakeholders in this industry; in fact, since 2010, over 7,000 patents have been published on next-generation battery technologies. It is anticipated that as the market becomes more mature, it is likely to benefit from economies of scale, resulting in further performance improvements and cost reductions.

Scope of the Report

The ‘Next-Generation Batteries Market, 2018-2030’ report features an extensive study of the current landscape and future outlook of the growing opportunities for next-generation batteries (beyond Li-ion). The focus of this study is on advanced battery chemistries that are currently being developed / have already been developed, such as lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries, solid-state batteries, thin film batteries, printed batteries and other advanced variation of Li-ion batteries, and the likely evolution of these novel concepts in the mid to long term. Backed by funding from several venture capital firms and strategic investors, this evolving market has its hopes pinned on the efforts of a significant number of start-ups, small-and mid-sized companies. Amongst other elements, the report features:

• A detailed assessment of the current market landscape, providing information on various types of next-generation batteries, their respective specifications (such as thickness, capacity, voltage, operating temperature, cycle life / shelf life and chargeability), and targeted application areas.
• Elaborate profiles of some of the leading players in the industry, highlighting the current focus of various companies, financial information, proprietary battery technologies and specific products. Each profile also has a section on recent developments, highlighting the achievements, partnerships / collaborations, and the likely strategies that may be adopted by these players to fuel growth in the foreseen future.
• An in-depth patent analysis to provide an overview of how the industry is evolving from the R&D perspective. For this analysis, we looked at the patents that have been published by various industry players since 2010, across different types of next generation batteries. The analysis also highlights the key trends associated with these patents, including patent type, regional distribution, CPC classification, IP litigations, emerging areas and leading industry players.
• A comprehensive benchmark analysis, highlighting the key focus areas of small, mid- and large-sized companies; primarily, it provides a means to compare the existing capabilities of companies within and beyond their peer groups, and help them identify ways to achieve a competitive edge over contemporary players.
• An analysis of investments made at various stages of product development; these include seed financing, venture capital financing, debt financing and grants / awards received by the companies that are operating in this area.

One of the key objectives of the report was to understand the primary growth drivers and estimate the future size of the market. We have provided an informed estimate on the likely evolution of the market for the period of 2018-2030 across several potential application areas of next-generation batteries, such as consumer electronics, electric vehicles, medical devices, powered smart cards / smart labels, RFID tags, smart wearables and wireless sensors / IoT devices. In addition, on the basis of the likely usability of different next-generation battery types across aforementioned applications, we have provided the distribution of the market across various types of batteries, such as lithium polymer, printed, solid-state, thin film, ultra-thin and other types of advanced Li-ion batteries. The forecast also includes distribution of the market opportunity across major regions of the globe, namely North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Considering the uncertainties related to investments and large-scale production of next generation batteries across different geographies, and to add robustness to our model, we have provided three forecast scenarios, representing the conservative, base and optimistic tracks of the market’s evolution.

The opinions and insights presented in this study were influenced by discussions conducted with several stakeholders in this domain. The report features detailed transcripts of interviews held with the following individuals:

• David A. Ainsworth (CEO, OXIS Energy)
• Graeme Purdy (CEO, Ilika)
• Jeff Sather (VP, Technology and Customer Solutions, Cymbet)
• Lisa Hsu (Spokesperson and Deputy Marketing Manager, ProLogium Technology)
• Pritesh Hiralal (CEO, Zinergy UK)
• Xiachang Zhang (Chairman, Enfucell)
• Yuan Yang (Assistant Professor, Columbia University, New York)

All actual figures have been sourced and analyzed from publicly available information forums and primary research discussions. Financial figures mentioned in this report are in USD, unless otherwise specified.