NCPOWER is a Spanish manufacturer of sustainable lithium-ion batteries with innovative and customised technology. It designs, develops and manufactures advanced lithium-ion energy storage solutions for electromobility in a wide variety of markets. We spoke to Mario Nicolás, CEO of NCPOWER about the future challenges of the sector.
Given that NCPOWER is renowned for its customised high-performance lithium batteries, what are the company's most recent innovations in this field and how do they help differentiate its products in the global market?
"NCPOWER focuses its efforts towards sustainable and efficient innovation, providing the market of electric vehicles and industrial machinery with more efficient and durable lithium batteries. Most companies in the industry present themselves as assemblers in the production of lithium batteries, emphasising their products or their assembly processes. However, NCPOWER is a battery manufacturer with its own technology. Our strong technological linkage (R&D) and the differentiating features of our own battery management system (BMS) and the high customisation of our solutions give us a unique and clearly differentiating advantage".
"NCPOWER has developed its own technology, the NCPOWER System, a battery management system (BMS) that offers a number of advantages in battery performance, productivity and energy savings, thereby extending the life of the batteries while allowing for greater sustainability and energy and cost savings".
"On the other hand, the aim of the NCPOWER data centre is to collect and store detailed information on the usage and performance of the lithium battery, while monitoring the state of health accurately at any time. Thanks to our monitoring technology, we can continuously track each battery to ensure that it is functioning properly. In addition, this technology allows us to anticipate potential risks, damage, increased power needs and even future optimisation of battery performance.
"We could summarise that our main way of differentiation is our own technology with which we manufacture our batteries and our high customer specialisation as all our batteries are manufactured and customised for each customer according to their technical needs and application of use, be it an electric vehicle, industrial machinery or storage and logistics machinery".
How is this growth influencing NCPOWER's strategies and operations, especially in terms of production and international expansion?
Last year we manufactured more than 1,200 batteries for light electric vehicles and our products are already in more than 12 countries and on 3 continents. Our strategic plan for 2024 already includes a clear commitment to the internationalisation of the brand and our technology.
We have recently been admitted to several European associations, including the leading BEPA Association. By joining BEPA, NCPOWER will actively contribute to achieving ambitious goals, including the drive towards climate neutrality in Europe by 2050. The association is focused on leading the battery industry across the entire value chain, from the development of differentiating battery materials technologies to manufacturing and cell design.
In the face of challenges such as the variability of raw material prices and intense competition in the sector, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges NCPOWER foresees for the electric vehicle battery market in the coming years?
"The global market for electric vehicle batteries will reach $175 billion by 2028. This exponential growth presents huge opportunities. Europe is expected to be one of the fastest growing regions in the EV market due to the increasing adoption of electric mobility in the region and the commissioning of numerous gigafactories. Europe is projected to account for approximately one-third of global EV battery production capacity by 2030."
"The trend and progress in the battery market goes hand in hand with the technology used in battery manufacturing: batteries with longer life, greater power and autonomy, and fast charging, among other factors such as weight and dimensions".
"On the other hand, the sector also faces a number of challenges such as metal supply constraints affecting the supply chain, shortage of recharging infrastructure, market uncertainty, sustainability and compliance with safety requirements, among others".
How do NCPOWER's sustainability initiatives fit into the broader context of the decarbonisation of road transport and the COP28 zero emissions target?
"The decarbonisation of road transport is one of the United Nations' goals, responsible for around 10 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. The adoption of electric vehicles is experiencing significant growth worldwide, and a number of factors are driving this progress. These include the increased use of electric mobility in emerging economies, falling battery prices and increasing investment by major automobile manufacturers in the battery supply chain for their future electric vehicles".
"All new car and van sales must be zero emission vehicles by 2040. This requires emissions to be reduced by around 45 % by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. In this context of circular economy and green economyNCPOWER positions itself as a strategic partner in building a cleaner and more efficient future with the development and manufacture of high-tech lithium batteries for electric vehicles.
"Lithium batteries offer a higher energy density, which allows for greater autonomy and more efficient performance in the most demanding applications. electric vehicles. In addition, lithium has a longer life cycle compared to other battery technologies, which contributes to increased durability and reduced waste±.
What are NCPOWER's plans to maintain its relevance and leadership in the evolving EV battery market, especially in terms of technological innovation and market expansion?
"NCPOWER is acting steadfastly to achieve its main goal, which is to become one of the leading providers of complete lithium battery solutions for electromobility worldwide by serving technology and innovation as a driving force. We have recently achieved the certification of the production process and R100.02 approval, and we are already in the process of patenting our own battery management system (BMS), as well as the NCPOWER System itself. We are already looking ahead to 2024 and some of the challenges we face in order to maintain our relevance in the sector. On the one hand, increasing our production capacity with new facilities that will allow us to meet the demands of our partners. On the other hand, increasing our staff of specialist professionals in the different business areas and especially in the engineering departments due to the strong technological link will allow us to increase our value proposition and competitive advantage. And finally, we will continue to work on specialising in light commercial vehicles and utility vehicles. And the possible diversification of our solutions to supply the different industrial energy storage markets".
"Technology is advancing rapidly and consumer and market demands are constantly changing, so it is important to always be up to date and able to adapt to change. We are pleased that we have been able to overcome the limits offered by traditional electrification. We also keep our eyes on the future and continuous improvement.
See original content here: Mario Nicolás, CEO of NCPOWER: "We focus our efforts on sustainable and efficient innovation".
