LG Energy Solution (LGES) has established a task force to develop prismatic batteries, responding to increasing demand from the electric vehicle (EV) market for safer and more cost-efficient battery production processes.
A report by Business Korea revealed the formation of this task force, although it did not cite specific sources or include comments from LGES. This move marks a strategic shift for LGES, which has traditionally specialized in pouch and cylindrical cells for vehicles and stationary energy storage systems.
The automotive industry is increasingly adopting cell-to-pack (CtP) battery concepts, where cells are directly installed into the battery pack without modules. This approach requires battery cells with solid and stable housings, such as cylindrical or prismatic cells. Pouch cells, with their thin foil exteriors, are unsuitable for CtP batteries due to their inability to handle structural loads. Business Korea highlighted that prismatic cells are favored for their higher safety and cost-efficient production, despite having a lower energy density compared to cylindrical or pouch cells.
LGES’s history with prismatic cells dates back to the 1990s when it was a unit of LG Chem, developing and mass-producing these cells for smaller devices until the 2010s. However, prismatic cells for electric cars will be significantly larger than those early versions.
If LGES proceeds with prismatic cell production for electric vehicles, it would become the first global battery manufacturer to offer all three formats—prismatic, pouch, and cylindrical cells. Currently, companies typically focus on two formats. Among South Korean manufacturers, only Samsung SDI offers prismatic cells, while SK On is also developing this cell format.