The lead industry must work harder in the face of increasing competition from lithium-ion to power energy storage projects, according to the head of lead-acid company Enersys.
President and CEO David Shaffer (pictured) told industry leaders at the 16th European Lead Battery Conference (ELBC) in Vienna lithium-ion technology was “coming on strong” in applications including uninterruptible power supply systems, telecoms, forklifts and other markets.
All markets for lead-acid batteries are under “threat”, whether it’s cars, forklift trucks or back-up power, and in some cases lead is under “serious threat”, Shaffer said.
Shaffer urged lead makers to think about how they communicate advances in and advantages of lead products. “Stop talking about cycles and start talking to your customers about energy throughput, because that’s the way the lithium guys talk. You’ve got to start to change the dialogue, and this is one of the key drivers for that.”
The Enersys chief’s warning echoed that of industry veteran Ray Kubis earlier this year, who said in Battery Council International’s five-year Starter lighting and Ignition batteries forecast lithium was eating into the worldwide market for transportation batteries with a voracious appetite.
