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Toyocolor Supports SK Innovation in Powering Volkswagen and Ford EVs

August 27, 2021 by Stephanie Leonida

Toyocolor announces plans to provide Lioaccum dispersions to power SK Innovations LiBs installed in Volkswagen and Ford’s electric vehicles.

Last month, Toyocolor Co., Ltd announced its plans to supply a South-Korean lithium-ion battery (LiB) supplier, SK Innovation, with its Lioaccum series of conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions. The Lioaccum dispersions are materials that can be used to boost the power of LiBs. Toyocolor’s Lioaccum dispersions are intended to be used to boost the power of SK Innovation’s LiBs. In particular, these LiBs are being used to power electric vehicles (EVs) manufactured by automotive giants, the Volkswagen Group and Ford Motor Company.

The President of Toyocolor, Hideki Okaichi. Image used courtesy of Toyocolor

 

Global Decarbonization

At present, the world is pushing forward to develop and implement more sustainable, carbon-neutral products and processes to help alleviate the harmful impacts conventional manufacturing has on the environment. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are being released by such human activity at levels exceeding the planet’s natural turnover. This excess in greenhouse gas emissions contributes to global warming, which means a rise in global temperatures and changing weather conditions. Such changes can cause flooding, wildfires, drought, and other phenomena that can cause devastation to habitats across the globe, the wildlife within them, and human beings.

Electric vehicles have been growing in number and their sales growing exponentially since 2010. Automotive manufacturers are under pressure to meet global climate change policies, with some aiming to reach carbon-neutral goals and only sell EVs by 2025 to the mid-2030s.

 

Toyocolor and SK Innovation

Toyocolor’s Lioaccum dispersions will be used as the conductive additive in li-ion cathodes of SK Innovation’s LiBs to help expand the energy capacity of Ford and Volkswagen’s EVs.

In a news release from last month, the President of Toyocolor, Hideki Okaichi, said, “We are pleased to announce this new partnership with SK Innovation.” Okaichi added, “Toyocolor has an established track record in carbon dispersion development dating back to 2015. We believe SK Innovation’s adoption of Lioaccum is a testament to our ability to reliably supply innovative battery solutions and customer-focused support to all four major auto markets of North America, Europe, China, and Japan. Today’s announcement reaffirms our commitment to meet the dispersion requirements of automakers with world-class battery materials, and to the Toyo Ink Group’s vision of realizing a more sustainable society through the spread of electric vehicles.”

Image used courtesy of Toyocolor

At present, Toyocolor is producing Lioaccum dispersions at the Group company LioChem in Conyers, Georgia, USA. Supply of the Lioaccum dispersions from Toyo Ink Hungary in Pest, Hungary to SK Innovation’s European plants, is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2022. Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd., is the parent company of Toyo Ink Group. Toyo Ink SC intends to invest in its global battery dispersions production network to establish a reliable global supply. The provision of LiBs with Toyocolor’s technology will help reduce manufacturing costs and provide power to next-generation EVs.