The China EV100 Forum 2023, one of Asia’s leading electric vehicle (EV) conferences, was held in Beijing from March 31 to April 2. As China has become the world’s largest EV market, this year’s forum focused on sustainable development in the energy industry under the theme of “China’s Automotive Industry Modernization.” As one of the market leaders, LG Energy Solution (LGES) was also present at the event.

Seungdon Choi, Senior Vice President of Advanced Automotive Battery Center at LGES, introduced the company’s innovative achievements and upcoming plans for sustainability in line with the forum’s key theme of ‘green energy.’

Here are the highlights!

Technological Innovation
LGES has made significant investments in technological innovation to drive the qualitative development of the global EV industry. The company has identified key consumer demands for EVs, including higher driving ranges, convenient fast-charging, and stabilization of price and quality. To address these concerns, LGES has developed high-nickel Nickel-manganese-cobalt-aluminum (NCMA) batteries and pouch-type batteries using cell-to-pack (CTP) technology, which extends the driving range of EVs up to an impressive 800km (497 miles), equivalent to the range of most internal combustion engines.

To enable fast-charging, LGES has incorporated next-gen anode material, silicon, which allows drivers to fully charge an EV with a range of 300km (186 miles) in just 10 minutes. Additionally, LGES has emphasized its commitment to maintaining price competitiveness by utilizing innovative materials while guaranteeing an enhanced level of safety through a solution that can better control thermal propagation (TP).

Smart Manufacturing
LGES has set a goal to implement the ‘smart factory’ concept at all of its global production facilities. By automating, digitizing, and integrating intelligence into the manufacturing process, LGES can gather and analyze data from every production line, and integrate R&D, supply chain, and after-sales quality management networks worldwide. This initiative will enhance energy efficiency and productivity while promoting carbon-neutral manufacturing processes. LGES will continue to advance battery manufacturing intelligence so that it can deliver state-of-the-art batteries that not only meet but exceed global standards.

Sustainability
LGES is taking the necessary steps to manage the entire battery life cycle through Battery as a Service (BaaS), which provides numerous services based on data collected during a battery’s entire life. Moreover, the company is implementing a Battery Circular Ecosystem to manage entire life cycle of batteries and foster a sustainable battery value chain – from the collecting of materials to production, usage, disposal, and recycling of products. During the China EV100 Forum, LGES stressed the importance of resource circulation and the need for environmentally conscious products and factories while presenting the blueprint and groundbreaking solutions for the global EV and battery industries.

In addition, LGES shared its forward-thinking ESG strategies and activities aimed at realizing the company’s ambitious ESG vision, ‘We CHARGE toward a better future.’ As the first Korean battery manufacturer to join RE100 (Renewable Energy 100%), LGES has already achieved a renewable energy use rate of 60% in 2022 and aims to achieve its interim goal of RE100 at production sites especially in Korea and China by 2025 followed by every global business site by 2030. The company has also taken a leading role in promoting a sustainable future by participating in various global initiatives such as the RBA (Responsible Business Alliance) and RLI (Responsible Labor Initiative).

With the global focus on renewable energy, the EV industry plays a crucial role in building a better future for all. The China EV100 Forum 2023 was a platform for LGES to showcase its shared goals of building a collaborative network and creating sustainable values across the EV industry. LGES’s commitment to a better future is unwavering, and it continues to drive the industry with its cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking initiatives.