SK IE Technology (SKIET), a South Korean company, has signed a letter of intent with Chinese battery manufacturer Sunwoda to supply separators for electric car batteries. Initially, the agreement will focus on the Chinese electric vehicle market, with SKIET supplying separators from its plant in Changzhou, China. This marks the first large-scale supply of EV battery separators to a Chinese EV battery manufacturer for SKIET, which has previously supplied separators for IT and electronics products to Sunwoda Group.
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However, the collaboration between the two companies is set to extend beyond China and into Europe. SKIET opened its first separator plant in Poland last year, and the separator foils produced there will be processed at a battery factory being constructed by Sunwoda in Hungary. This factory is part of Sunwoda’s plans to enter the European market, which includes increasing its annual battery production capacity from 40 GWh to 138 GWh by 2025.
Sunwoda supplies batteries to several major automakers, including Geely, Dongfeng, SAIC, Volvo Cars, and Volkswagen, but primarily for models not sold in Europe. However, Sunwoda’s batteries are used in the Dacia Spring, which is sold in Germany. The collaboration between SKIET and Sunwoda will strengthen their strategic cooperation in the electric vehicle market and further expand their reach across different regions.
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While SKIET is considering entering the North American market to benefit from subsidies, the company has not yet provided further details on this plan. The collaboration with Sunwoda is expected to help SKIET become a significant player in the global EV battery market and support the transition towards sustainable transportation.
