SK On completes prismatic, 46-pi battery development
Battery maker in talks with auto brands to secure orders for newest products
SK On has completed the development of prismatic and 46-pi cylindrical battery cells, the Korean battery maker's head of research and development division said Wednesday.
'We are trying our best to speed up the process of mass production for (the prismatic batteries) right now,' Park Ki-soo, head of SK On's R&D division, told reporters at the 2025 InterBattery exhibition at Coex in Seoul.
'We are in talks with clients to secure orders but mass production must be carried out in steps with their automotive market situation, so we are going to align with their timeline.'
Park added that SK On has completed developing 46-pi cylindrical battery cells despite being the last among Korean battery makers to join the race for the development and mass production of the cells.
'We are making various form factors with different heights,' he said.
'The development (of 46-pi cylindrical battery cells) is complete, but we are in the process of developing distinguished technology regarding production to bolster mass production capabilities.'
SK On's R&D chief also shared that the company expects development of its 'immersion cooling technology' to be complete in approximately two years. The thermal management solution cools heat-generating components by directly immersing them in thermal fluids.
SK On's immersion cooling technology is being co-developed with SK Enmove, a sister company under SK Innovation, and features a structure tailored to support fast charging with an ability to curb thermal runways.
'(As for the immersion cooling technology's application,) it's being developed for both (energy storage systems) and electric vehicles,' he said.
Asked about a potential hike in the price of batteries equipped with the technology, Park mentioned that automakers can remove existing defensive materials loaded on the EV batteries to prevent thermal runways, as SK On's immersion cooling technology can replace them.
'As (automakers) remove such materials, we believe that the overall price (of the battery) will remain similar,' he said.
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