Panasonic recently announced that it is about to commercialize cylindrical batteries with a diameter of 46 mm and a length of 80 mm. The company is planning to start pilot production in Japan in March next year before initiating mass production.

In September last year, Tesla announced that those batteries would be used in its vehicles starting from 2022. According to Tesla, the energy density and output of a battery of this type are at least 500 percent and 600 percent of those of a battery 21 mm in diameter and 70 mm in length, respectively.

Tesla and many other electric vehicle manufacturers are using cylindrical batteries, which are standardized and highly advantageous in terms of mass production and cost reduction. Each Tesla Model 3 uses approximately 4,000 cylindrical batteries.

Under the circumstances, LG Energy Solution and Samsung SDI are also working on next-generation cylindrical batteries. LG Energy Solution is currently supplying its batteries for use in Tesla vehicles manufactured in China. The company hinted in October last year that it is developing cylindrical batteries 46 mm in diameter and 80 mm in length.

Samsung SDI is developing various types of cylindrical batteries, including those with a diameter of 40 mm or so. Lucid Motors is collaborating with it in the development process.