Top US and International Battery Suppliers and Manufacturers

Types of Battery Suppliers

Battery suppliers manufacture batteries for small electronics, transportation, and electric utility distribution and transmission grid applications. These generally fall into 2 separate categories: Lithium Ion and Non Lithium Ion batteries.

Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Batteries

Li-ion battery chemistries are proprietary to their manufacturers. Predominant chemistries are lithium cobalt oxide, which offers high energy density but can be dangerous if damaged; lithium iron phosphate; lithium ion manganese oxide, and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide. Li-ion battery manufacturers are primarily based in Japan and China. They manufacture Li-ion batteries for consumer and industrial purposes. Most of these companies are partnered with car manufacturers to ensure a supply of Li-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles. Factors driving Li-ion innovation are battery life, energy density, safety, cost reduction, and charging speed.

Non-Li-ion Batteries

Non-Li-ion technology providers hope to capitalize on the weaknesses of Li-ion technology. Non-Li-ion battery providers include startups and large, well-established corporations. Typical non-Li-ion batteries are sodium sulfur batteries, flow batteries, advanced lead-acid batteries, and zinc-based batteries.

We've evaluated the top general battery suppliers and companies in both of these more specific categories below.

Battery Manufacturers USA and US-Based Battery Suppliers

Below we have compiled information on US general battery suppliers as found on Thomasnet.com. Companies are sorted in ascending order of year founded. The table also includes information on their annual sales, main locations, and types of batteries. Estimated sales volumes are shown in millions of US dollars where available.

Table 1: US Battery Suppliers

Company	Battery Types	Headquarters*	Founded*	Estimated Annual Sales*
F.W. Webb Company	Lithium, Alkaline	Bedford, MA	1866	$250+
Tripp Lite	Lead Acid	Chicago, IL	1922	NA
Associated Bag	Alkaline	Milwalkee, WI	1938	<$1
Essentra Components	Alkaline	Erie, PA	1956	NA
Mouser Electronics	NiCd, NiMH, Lead Acid, Lithium, Alkaline	Mansfield, TX	1964	$250+
Power-Sonic Corporation	Lead Acid, Li-Iron Phosphate, NiCd, NiMH	San Diego, CA	1970	$50-99
Scott's Emergency Lighting & Power Generation, Inc.	Lead Acid, NiCd, Pure Lead, Gel Cell	Bensalem, PA	1971	$1-4.9
bisco industries	Lithium, Li-ion, Lead Acid	Anaheim, CA	1973	NA
Positive Battery Co.	Lead Acid, NiCd, NiMH, Lithium	Hartford, CT	1983	NA
Green Rubber Kennedy AG	Alkaline	Salinas, CA	1990	NA

Notes:

*Data as reported on Thomasnet.com

Top Battery Companies - Summaries and Info

F.W. Webb is the oldest company. It offers lithium and alkaline batteries amongst its other offerings of plumbing, HVAC, gas equipment, valve and fitting, water system, electrical, tool and hardware, pump and circulation, and measurement products.

Tripp Lite, established in 1922, manufactures UPS replacement batteries and battery packs, as well as other IT product power and connection products.

In third place is Associated Bag, which offers coppertop and alkaline batteries from AAA to 9 volt. The company specializes in packaging, shipping, and workplace products.

Essentra Components, founded in 1956, offers AAA to 9 volt batteries in 8, 12, 18, and 24 packs. The company overall provides specialty plastic, fiber, foam, and packaging products.

Mouser Electronics distributes an array of batteries and battery products including coin cell, consumer, photo, electronic, sealed lead acid, NiCd, and NiMH batteries, as well as battery packs. The company specializes in electronic components and semiconductors.

Power-Sonic Corporation is in position six. It specializes in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries, including sealed lead acid, lithium iron phosphate, power sport, NiCd, and NiMH. It also offers chargers.

In seventh position is Scott’s Emergency Lighting & Power Generation, which specializes in emergency lighting and power products. It offers lead acid, Ni-Cd, pure lead, and gel cell batteries, as well as chargers and accessories.

bisco industries, founded in 1971, offers electronic components, fasteners, and hardware. Its battery offerings include 0800-0008, CR1/2AA, CR1210-1W-132JT, NCR18650B, NP18-12B, and XTS-2500 batteries, as well as many in between.

Positive Battery, in spot nine, offers automotive, phone, laptop, camera, farm, industrial, marine RV, sealed lead acid, small electronics, and small engine batteries.

Lastly, Green Rubber Kennedy AG offers Streamlight and Rayovac flashlight batteries. It also offers a wide range of industrial supplies in addition to its custom fabrication services.

Top 12 Global Li-ion Battery Manufacturers

The top 12 Global Li-ion Battery Manufacturers are summarized in Table 2 below, ranked in descending order of estimated 2017 installed manufacturing capacity. Manufacturing capacity as shown represents output in billions of watt-hours or Gigawatt-hours (GWh). The power output of 1 GWh of battery power means that the battery (or group of batteries) can output 1 billion watts of power in an hour. In the U.S., most households pay per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity they consume. A GWh is a million kWh of electricity.

Also shown in Table 2 is the country in which each manufacturer is headquartered as well as revenue and market capitalization data for those companies where financial data was reported.

Table 2: Top 12 Global Li-ion Battery Manufacturers

Rank*	Company	2017 Installed Manufacturing Capacity**	Country	Revenue***	Market Cap****
1	LG Chem	17 GWh	Korea	$23.1 Billion	$23.9 Billion
2	BYD	16 GWh	China	$15.5 Billion	$15.4 Billion
3	Panasonic	8.5 GWh	Japan	$71.8 Billion	$31.8 Billion
4	AESC	8.4 GWh	Japan	NA	NA
5	CATL	7.5 GWh	China	$3.0 Billion	$23.3 Billion
6	Guoxuan High-Tech	6 GWh	China	$718 Million	$2.3 Billion
7	Samsung SDI	6 GWh	Korea	$5.7 Billion	$14.0 Million
8	Lishen	3 GWh	China	NA	NA
9	CBAK	2.5 GWh	China	$58.4 Million	$19.2 Million
10	CALB	2.4 GWh	China	NA	NA
11	LEJ	2.3 GWh	Japan	NA	NA
12	Wanxiang	2.1 GWh	China	$1.7 Billion	$2.6 Billion

Notes:

*Rankings are based on statistics reported by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (https://data.bloomberglp.com/bnef/sites/14/2017/07/BNEF-Lithium-ion-battery-costs-and-market.pdf)

**Manufacturing capacity is reported by the amount of electricity (GWh) that can be stored by the manufactured batteries.

***Revenue is based on fourth quarter reported values, reported as of 2017 and converted to US dollars using foreign exchange rates as of August 8, 2018.

****Market capitalization values are as of August 8, 2018 and were converted to US dollars using foreign exchange rates as of August 8, 2018.

Company Summaries

LG Chem is ranked number one. In 1999, LG Chem succeeded in developing a lithium-ion battery for the first time in Korea. Since then, it has continued to increase its sales volume in the battery market based on technologies and product development. Its batteries are typically used in consumer electronics, electric bicycles, motorcycles, and household appliances.

Number two on the list of top suppliers is BYD. BYD lithium-ion batteries includes lithium-ion cell, lithium-ion battery packs, and li-polymer batteries among others, which are used in many applications. Many domestic and international companies like Samsung, LG, Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE, and TCL are among the clients of BYD Li-battery Co, Ltd. In 2018, BYD announced its goal of quadrupling its manufacturing capacity by 2020.

Panasonic is ranked in position number three. It is the top EV battery supplier in the world. Partnered with Tesla, it manufactures a large range of battery sizes, from 75 kWh to 100 kWh. In 2018, Tesla and Panasonic opened the 35 GWh capacity Gigafactory in Nevada, USA.

AESC ranks in [position number four. It was established in 2007 as a joint venture between NEC Corporation, Nissan Motor Company, and NEC Tokin. Initial markets were to be forklift trucks, followed by electric and hybrid vehicles manufactured by Nissan. Until 2014, it was the second largest EV battery supplier in the world, primarily fueling Nissan EVs. In 2016, however, Nissan decided to sell its 51% stake in the company, preferring external suppliers.

In fifth place is CATL, based in China, which primarily focuses on the EV market. It supplies BMW, VW, and Daimler. In 2018, CATL announced a plan to expand its manufacturing output to 50 GWh in 2020.

Guoxuan High-Tech is in sixth place. Guoxuan High-tech engages in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of power lithium batteries. It produces transmission and distribution equipment, specializing in power lithium and lithium-ion battery as well as monolithic lithium ion battery and cell cathode material. Its products are used in energy vehicles, storage power stations, communication base stations, and for mobile power.

Samsung SDI is in seventh place. Its Li-ion batteries are used in its consumer electronics, as well as for automotive manufacturers and the electric utility industry. In 2018 it announced that it would target the residential market with a high voltage residential energy storage system module that has twice the energy density of its earlier Li-ion products.

Lishen, in eighth place, is a high-tech enterprise controlled by the state and private shareholders. It was established in 1997 with a registered capital of USD 272 million. So far Lishen Battery has grown its annual production capacity up to 10GWh and has maintained the major market share among the global lithium-ion battery industry for years. In 2018 it announced that it will increase power battery production capacity by 20 GWh by 2020.

In ninth place is CBAK. In 2005 it built the first full-automatic 18650 battery production line in China. The company’s power battery cells are characterized by stable structure, high heat dissipation, high-energy density, light weight, low combustible value, and flame retardant spacing.

In tenth place is CALB. As a large national-owned enterprise, CALB is headquartered in Luoyang, China and has more than 2,000 employees worldwide. CALB serves the renewable energy storage, transportation, wind & photovoltaic energy storage, telecommunication, mining equipment and rail transportation markets. Its products include lithium-ion batteries featuring large capacity, long cycle life, high power density, low self-discharge rate and low temperature performance.

In eleventh place is LEJ (Lithium Energy Japan). Lithium Energy Japan has recently come out with a lithium-ion battery, the LEV50, which is based on GS Yuasa Group's technology. It is suitable for EV and energy storage applications.

Wanxiang is in twelfth place. It is a subsidiary of the Wanxiang Group. It markets automobile parts, solar energy systems, batteries, electro mobile systems and other products to more than 50 countries and regions. The company has business relationships with GM, FORD, Volkswagen, BMW, BENZ, Daewoo, Hyundai, Toyota, Mazda and other international automobile manufacturers and suppliers.

Key Global Non-Li-ion Battery Manufacturers

Non-Li-ion technology is typically used in applications that require longer charge and discharge periods, such as electric utility distribution and transmission grid storage. These manufacturers include startups and conglomerates that develop non-Li-ion technologies. Non-Li-ion technologies include lead acid, sodium sulfur, vanadium redox flow, and zinc-based materials. They are typically less flammable and longer lived than Li-ion battery chemistries.

In Table 3, below, we’ve outlined 8 key non-Li-ion battery manufacturers.

Table 3: Key Global Non-Li-ion Battery Manufacturers

Rank	Company	Non-Li-ion Battery Technology	Country	Founded	Estimated Financing* (Millions)	Revenue** (Billions)
1	Gridtential	Lead Acid	USA	2010	$17.5	NA
2	Sumitomo Electric	Vanadium Redox	Japan	1897	NA	$43.5
3	Enerox	Vanadium Redox	Germany	2018	NA	NA
4	UniEnergy	Vanadium Redox	USA	2012	$25	NA
5	Vionx Energy Inc.	Vanadium Redox	USA	2002	$114.2	NA
6	Primus Power	Zinc Bromide Flow	USA	2009	$92.1	NA
7	NGK Insulators	Sodium Sulfur	Japan	1919	NA	$3.7
8	FIAMM	Lead Acid	Italy	1942	NA	NA

Notes:

*Financing as reported on Crunchbase as of August 8, 2018.

** Revenue is based on four quarterly reported values, reported as of 2017 and converted to US dollars using foreign exchange rates as of August 8, 2018.

Company Summaries

Gridtential, based in Santa Clara, California, USA, offers a single battery product for high power, medium energy and deep cycling applications. Features include stacked cell architecture and silicon wafer plates.

Sumitomo Electric, based in Japan, is a conglomerate that manufactures electric wire, optical fiber cables, li-ion batteries, and vanadium redox batteries. Their redox flow batteries have 20 year lifetimes, low flammability, and can provide short and long periods of output variation.

Enerox manufactures vanadium redox flow batteries, which provide energy storage. Applications include grid and micro grid storage, off grid storage for solar and wind, diesel power replacement, back-up power, farming, electrical vehicle charging stations, industrial plants, office buildings ,and emergency power sources.

Founded in 2012, UniEnergy, or UET,provides turnkey, megawatt-scale energy storage solutions for commercial/industrial, microgrid, and utility applications. Those applications can be stacked. UET’s solutions are differentiated by an electrolyte with double the energy density and capacity, and broader operating temperature range, than conventional vanadium.

Vionx offers 20 year vanadium redox flow batteries. Applications include renewable energy, grid and micro grid, and industrial uses.

Primus Power was founded in 2009. The privately held company, located in Silicon Valley, has a subsidiary in Asia. It has 40 patents from 11 countries and 29 additional patents pending. Its flow batteries ship to U.S. and international commercial/industrial, data center, microgrid, utility, and military customers.

NGK is a Japanese ceramics company, primarily producing insulators but also producing other goods, especially ceramic products. It markets its sodium sulfur (NaS) batteries for use in the electric utility industry, especially for use in conjunction with renewable energy resources such as wind and solar. Typical installations range from 1.5 to 34 MW.

FIAMM Energy Technology, recently acquired by Hitachi, is a multinational company engaged in the production and distribution of batteries and accumulators for motor vehicle and industrial use. FIAMM markets its batteries to the telecom, utilities and industrial, renewable energy, oil & gas, railways, and automotive industries.

Battery Suppliers - Summary

Above we’ve listed the top US general, global Li-ion and non-Li-ion battery suppliers. For more details on many of these companies or to compile your own lists with your own specifications, we invite you to visit the Thomas Supplier Discovery Platform, where there are more than 1,100 battery suppliers.Solid-state technology – the quest for the ‘Holy Grail’

Innovation has powered Saft's success throughout our history. One of the people leading the way is Kamen Nechev, our Chief Technology Officer for over a decade. We asked him to tell us more about Saft's approach to innovation and to explain how solid-state technology might shape the future of the battery industry.

How does Saft approach innovation?

Our innovation activities fall into two main categories. In the near to middle term, around two to five years ahead, we focus directly on product development. This includes new chemistries such as lithium titanate oxide (LTO) that can extend the cycle life and fast-charging capability of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. We are also looking at the whole battery system to develop the advanced models, algorithms and associated control electronics that will get the best out of the new chemistries. 

Looking five to eight years ahead and beyond, we are developing new battery technologies that will be critical to our long term future. Perhaps the most exciting is our work on solid-state batteries.

Why is Saft so excited about solid-state batteries?

Currently, any kind of rechargeable battery – nickel-based, lead-acid or Li-ion – relies on two electrodes that exchange ions through a liquid electrolyte. This works very well. However, there is a drawback, because some liquid electrolytes are flammable. If a Li-ion battery is subjected to any abuse or damage it could cause the electrolyte and electrodes to overheat. That’s why we pay so much attention to designing and manufacturing our Li-ion batteries to mitigate any risk of fire. 

Replacing the liquid with a solid electrolyte gives a Li-ion battery that is inherently much safer. But it is not quite that simple. Solid electrolytes are far worse at conducting ions. The concept was therefore a non-starter until very recently. But a new generation of solid electrolytes now offers the levels of conductivity we need.

There is a second benefit to the solid-state design. It puts us on the path to what has long been considered the ‘Holy Grail’ of Li-ion battery design – using metallic lithium.

Solid-state batteries will emerge as a mature technology in about 8 to 10 years; they’ll be ideal for electric vehicle and energy storage applications.

Kamen NechevChief Technology Officer at Saft

What difference does metallic lithium make?

Using metallic lithium directly, instead of carbon electrodes that host lithium ions, would theoretically almost double capacity of a Li-ion cell since lithium alone has than 10 times more capacity than a carbon electrode. We could get significantly more performance from the same size of battery – or the same performance from a much smaller and lighter battery. But putting metallic lithium into a liquid electrolyte presents two major technical challenges.

First, to use metallic lithium we need to get it to ‘passivate’ by forming a microscopically thin surface oxide layer called SEI (solid electrolyte interface) that keeps it chemically stable in the electrolyte. Re-forming this layer at each cycle consumes lithium and reduces capacity by around one percent - so in less than 100 cycles the battery becomes unusable.

The second challenge is to prevent the growth of tiny whiskers (dendrites) on the metallic electrode as it cycles between discharge and charge. Eventually, the dendrites cause internal short circuits and thermal runaway.

The situation changes when we use a solid electrolyte as it protects the metallic lithium and restricts the growth of dendrites. The result is a battery with excellent energy density that can cycle efficiently and offers enhanced safety, low self-discharge and improved life at high temperatures.

Where is Saft in the race to develop solid-state batteries? 

Saft is well positioned in the top five companies working on solid-state batteries. A crucial factor is that Total, our parent company, views investment in innovation as central to its long term vision. Solid-state technology is also a core element of the European Battery Alliance in which we have joined forces with other industrial champions such as Manz, Siemens, Solvay and Umicore. We have also developed an excellent global network of academic and industrial partners as well as investing in Ionic Materials, a US leader in solid-state electrolytes.

When will solid-state batteries become commercially available?

In the next three to four years, solid-state batteries should be in the hands of early adopters for specialist low-volume applications such as defense, space and aviation. The next stage, four to five years from now, will see the technology taken up in high-volume consumer markets, mainly for mobile phones and tablets.

Solid-state batteries will emerge as a mature technology in about eight to ten years or so, when their combination of low cost, high energy density/low weight and long life will be ideal for electric vehicle and energy storage applications.

What is particularly interesting is that solid-state technology is ideal for a pouch cell format. This offers the flexibility to move away from the traditional cell/ module/system format. Instead we might be able to create batteries as a single unit that forms an integral structural element in a vehicle or aircraft.

How important might solid-state batteries become?

If the good progress made so far continues then we will see a slow but substantial shift to solid-state batteries. And one day they might replace Li-ion batteries everywhere, with the exception of special high-power applications