Taipei, Dec. 24, 2012 (CENS)--Two major Japanese lithium-battery firms Sanyo and Sony reportedly plan to set up factories in Taiwan and the government is assisting it in finding local partners, possibly Yulon Motor and Simplo Technolgy, with the investment scale for the joint ventures likely to hit NT$12 billion, posing as the largest investment projects of Japanese firms in Taiwan in recent years.
Chen Kuo-jong, president of Yulon, though, expressed yesterday (Dec. 23) that the company has yet to receive inquiry from the government concerning the case. An official in charge, however, confirmed that due to mounting operating pressure and high production cost in Japan, a couple of major Japanese battery firms are seeking Taiwanese partners for investing in Taiwan.
Previously, Sony reportedly planned to sell its battery department to increase cash flow and cut operating cost, a plan which reportedly attracted BYD of China and Hong Hai Group. The investments of Japanese battery firms in Taiwan will contribute to the development of local electric-car industry.
Taiwan is actively pushing the development of lithium-battery industry, which can complement the existing battery assembly and complete auto/bus industries in the downstream sector.
An official in charge noted that the global electric-car industry is developing mostly in the form of joint ventures. The government plans to assist Sanyo and Sony forming joint ventures in Taiwan, thereby introducing the upstream technologies for the electric-car industry into the island, which can combine with the nation’s advantages in the downstream sector for the industry.
The official remarked that of the eight major systems for the industrial chain of electric cars, battery and motor are two systems needing technological breakthrough. The introduction of Japanese battery technology can lead to the formation of a vertical industrial chain for electric cars in Taiwan, cutting the production costs for locally developed electric cars.
