The automotive industry may dominate the lead-acid battery market but delegates at this year’s 16th Asian Battery Conference were told the industry must look elsewhere to ensure its future.
The threat of lithium-ion to the lead-acid market has been well documented, but the International Lead Association’s Andy Bush believes the war is far from lost.
He told delegates that to thrive the lead-acid industry must have a strong market – and to do that he said the industry had to find a way of making it the product of choice for consumers.
With Europe’s End-of-Life Directive looming over the industry, producers must change tactics, Bush said.
The lead market is currently dominated by the automotive industry, with e-bikes close behind.
But Bush suggested improving the lifetime for motive and UPS applications and tackling new markets in the utility and renewable energy fields. He suggested energy saving applications within elevators and cranes, as possible business opportunities.
Bush told the conference: “We have to look beyond existing markets and realise the demand for sustainable applications . The challenge is to make sure the batteries keep up with customer demands of performance, especially in automotive sector.”