INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND PRODUCTS, INC.

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1 irap INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND PRODUCTS, INC. ET-101 ULTRACAPACITORS A GLOBAL INDUSTRY AND MARKET ANALYSIS Babu Lal Gupta Project Analyst Dr. Thomas Abraham Project Supervisor INNOVATIVE RESEARCH AND PRODUCTS, INC. P.O. Box Stamford, CT Phone: (203) Web: innoresearch@optonline.net

2 ABOUT irap Innovative Research and Products (irap) Inc. conducts market research and industry analysis in new generation technologies and products. Areas covered include advanced materials, nanotechnology and nanomaterials, processing technologies and products, advanced ceramics, metals and alloys, highperformance coatings, automotive components, aircraft and aerospace materials, electronic devices, photonic components, membranes, plastics, pharmaceutical products and biotechnology. CUSTOM ANALYSIS irap will be happy to talk to you about your market research needs if you need to expand on the current market survey to cover a new product or technology. We are confident that we will meet your expectations and provide you the most accurate industry and market analysis. Send us an of your market research and industry analysis objectives and we will provide you a FREE quote. TERMS OF PURCHASE By purchasing this report, the purchaser is bound to the following conditions: The report can only be used by the group or the division which bought this report. The report cannot be copied and sent to other groups or divisions in the same company or other companies. Other than internal use, any quotes from this report can be made only with written permission from the publisher. DISCLAIMER irap has compiled information in this report as accurately as possible at the time of its publication. irap cautions that any information contained in this report should not be considered as a policy guide or endorsement of any company, technology or product. irap takes no responsibility for any losses or damages that might result because of the reliance on this materials. Copyright 2006 Innovative Research and Products, Inc., Stamford, CT Reproduction of any passage or table is strictly forbidden without permission of irap. JULY 2006

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...VII STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES...VII REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY... VIII CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY... IX SCOPE AND FORMAT... IX METHODOLOGY... IX INFORMATION SOURCES...X WHOM THE STUDY CATERS TO...X AUTHOR S CREDENTIALS... XI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...XII SUMMARY TABLE GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY APPLICATION THROUGH XIII SUMMARY FIGURE GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY APPLICATION...XIV INDUSTRY OVERVIEW... 1 BACKGROUND... 2 BACKGROUND (CONTINUED)... 3 BACKGROUND (CONTINUED)... 4 BACKGROUND (CONTINUED)... 5 TYPES AND APPLICATIONS... 6 TYPES AND APPLICATIONS (CONTINUED)... 6 TYPES AND APPLICATIONS (CONTINUED)... 7 TABLE 1 MARKET DOMAIN AND APPLICATIONS OF ULTRACAPACITORS... 9 MARKETS... 9 AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS... 9 Hybrid Drives Hybrid Drives (Continued) Transportation Applications Transportation Applications (Continued) Typical Applications in Automotive Systems Typical Applications in Automotive Systems (Continued) CONSUMER ELECTRONICS APPLICATIONS High Pulse-Power Applications Computer Electronics Computer Electronics (Continued) INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) (Continued) i

4 Pitch Systems of Windmills Door and Slide Management Systems (DSMSs) Power Robotic Systems Automatic Meter Readers (AMRs) Ultracapacitor Packs Long-life Storage Applications MARKET SIZE AND SHARE TABLE 2 SUMMARY OF GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY APPLICATION THROUGH FIGURE 1 SUMMARY OF GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY APPLICATION IN 2006 AND TABLE 3 SUMMARY OF GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY REGION THROUGH FIGURE 2 REGIONAL PERCENTAGES OF MARKET SHARE FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, 2006 AND ULTRACAPACITOR TECHNOLOGIES AND PRODUCTS DEFINITIONS DEFINITIONS (CONTINUED) DEFINITIONS (CONTINUED) DEFINITIONS (CONTINUED) DEFINITIONS (CONTINUED) DEFINITIONS (CONTINUED) ULTRACAPACITORS VS. LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES ULTRACAPACITORS VS. CAPACITORS TABLE 4 COMPARISON OF ULTRACAPACITOR AND BATTERY CHARACTERISTICS ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF ULTRACAPACITORS Advantages Limitations WORKING OF A TYPICAL SYMMETRIC EDLC (PURE EDLC USING AQUEOUS ELECTRIC DOUBLE-LAYER CAPACITOR) CAPACITORS (EDLC) BY TECHNOLOGY CAPACITORS (EDLC) BY TECHNOLOGY 2006 (CONTINUED) CAPACITORS (EDLC) BY TECHNOLOGY 2006 (CONTINUED) CAPACITORS (EDLC) BY TECHNOLOGY 2006 (CONTINUED) CURRENT MATERIALS FOR ULTRACAPACITORS CURRENT MATERIALS FOR ULTRACAPACITORS (CONTINUED) EMERGING MATERIALS: CARBON NANOTUBE ULTRACAPACITORS TABLE 6 EMERGING MATERIALS USED IN ELECTRIC DOUBLE-LAYER CAPACITORS (EDLCS) ii

5 TYPICAL AVAILABLE SIZES OF ULTRACAPACITORS COMPACT TYPE TABLE 7 TYPICAL SIZES OF COMPACT ULTRACAPACITOR CELLS COIN TYPE TABLE 8 TYPICAL SIZES OF COIN ULTRACAPACITOR CELLS LARGE-SIZE MODULE TABLE 9 TYPICAL SIZES OF LARGE-SIZE MODULES OF ULTRACAPACITOR CELLS QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS OF ULTRA CAPACITORS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS AND OTHERS QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS OF ULTRA CAPACITORS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS AND OTHERS (CONTINUED) INDUSTRY STRUCTURE INDUSTRY STRUCTURE (CONTINUED) MARKET PLAYERS TABLE 10 TOP FIVE MANUFACTURERS OF ULTRACAPACITORS IN COMPANY TABLE 11 ULTRACAPACITOR PRODUCT LINE REFERENCE TABLE 11 ULTRACAPACITOR PRODUCT LINE REFERENCE-2006 (CONTINUED) SUPPLIER OVERVIEW SUPPLIER OVERVIEW (CONTINUED) COMPETITIVE TRENDS COMPETITIVE TRENDS (CONTINUED) NEW ELECTRODES ELECTROLYTES AND LITHIUM IONS STRATEGIC ALLIANCES COMPETITION PARTNERSHIPS AND CONSOLIDATION TABLE 12 ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS OF COMPANIES MANUFACTURING ULTRACAPACITORS DURING 1989 TO TABLE 12 ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS OF COMPANIES MANUFACTURING ULTRACAPACITORS DURING 1989 TO 2006 (CONTINUED) PATENTS AND PATENT ANALYSIS LIST OF PATENTS PATENT ANALYSIS PATENTS OF ELECTRIC DOUBLE-LAYER CAPACITORS (EDLCS) TABLE 13 NUMBER OF US PATENTS GRANTED TO COMPANIES IN THE ULTRACAPACITOR (EDLC) DESIGN CATEGORY FROM 2001 THROUGH FIGURE 3 TOP COMPANIES IN TERMS OF US PATENTS GRANTED FOR ULTRACAPACITORS FROM 2001 THROUGH ULTRACAPACITORS: U.S. PATENT ACTIVITY INTERNATIONAL OVERVIEW OF U.S. PATENT ACTIVITY IN ULTRACAPACITORS TABLE 14 NUMBER OF US PATENTS GRANTED BY ASSIGNED COUNTRY/REGION FOR ULTRACAPACITORS FROM JAN TO DEC iii

6 INTERNATIONAL OVERVIEW OF U.S. PATENT ACTIVITY IN ULTRACAPACITORS (CONTINUED) COMPANY PROFILES ADVANCED CAPACITOR TECHNOLOGIES AVX CORPORATION AXION POWER BATSCAP CAP-XX USA, INC COOPER ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES ELIT CO ELNA EPCOS AG ESMA EVANS CAPACITOR HOHSEN CORP MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES (CONTINUED) MAXWELL TECHNOLOGIES (CONTINUED) MIT LAB FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (LEES) NANOTECTURE LTD NEC TOKIN AMERICA, INC NESSCAP CO., LTD NICHICON NISSHINBO INDUSTRIES, INC., OMRON CORPORATION PANASONIC EV ENERGY CO., LTD SHIZUKI SKELETON NANOLAB TAVRIMA CANADA UNITED CHEMI-CON UNITED CHEMI-CON (CONTINUED) iv

7 LIST OF TABLES SUMMARY TABLE: GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY APPLICATION THROUGH xiii TABLE 1 MARKET DOMAIN AND APPLICATIONS OF ULTRACAPACITORS... 9 TABLE 2 SUMMARY OF GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY APPLICATION THROUGH TABLE 3 SUMMARY OF GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY REGION THROUGH TABLE 4 COMPARISON OF ULTRACAPACITOR AND BATTERY CHARACTERISTICS CAPACITORS (EDLC) BY TECHNOLOGY CAPACITORS (EDLC) BY TECHNOLOGY 2006 (CONTINUED) CAPACITORS (EDLC) BY TECHNOLOGY 2006 (CONTINUED) CAPACITORS (EDLC) BY TECHNOLOGY 2006 (CONTINUED) TABLE 6 EMERGING MATERIALS USED IN ELECTRIC DOUBLE- LAYER CAPACITORS (EDLCS) TABLE 7 TYPICAL SIZES OF COMPACT ULTRACAPACITOR CELLS TABLE 8 TYPICAL SIZES OF COIN ULTRACAPACITOR CELLS TABLE 9 TYPICAL SIZES OF LARGE-SIZE MODULES OF ULTRACAPACITOR CELLS TABLE 10 TOP FIVE MANUFACTURERS OF ULTRACAPACITORS IN TABLE 11 ULTRACAPACITOR PRODUCT LINE REFERENCE TABLE 11 ULTRACAPACITOR PRODUCT LINE REFERENCE-2006 (CONTINUED) TABLE 12 ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS OF COMPANIES MANUFACTURING ULTRACAPACITORS DURING 1989 TO TABLE 12 ACQUISITIONS AND MERGERS OF COMPANIES MANUFACTURING ULTRACAPACITORS DURING 1989 TO 2006 (CONTINUED) TABLE 13 NUMBER OF US PATENTS GRANTED TO COMPANIES IN THE ULTRACAPACITOR (EDLC) DESIGN CATEGORY FROM 2001 THROUGH v

8 TABLE 14 NUMBER OF US PATENTS GRANTED BY ASSIGNED COUNTRY/REGION FOR ULTRACAPACITORS FROM JAN TO DEC vi

9 LIST OF FIGURES SUMMARY FIGURE: GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY APPLICATION... xiv FIGURE 1 SUMMARY OF GLOBAL MARKET FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, BY APPLICATION IN 2006 AND FIGURE 2 REGIONAL PERCENTAGES OF MARKET SHARE FOR ULTRACAPACITORS, 2006 AND FIGURE 3 TOP COMPANIES IN TERMS OF US PATENTS GRANTED FOR ULTRACAPACITORS FROM 2001 THROUGH vi

10 INTRODUCTION Although ultracapacitors have been around since the 1960s, they are relatively expensive and only recently have begun to be manufactured in sufficient quantities to become cost-competitive. Today one can find ultracapacitors in a range of electronic devices, from computers to cars. An ultracapacitor (supercapacitor or electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC)) stores more power than a battery and more energy than a capacitor. For this reason, it brings significant benefits in both peak-assist and power-assist applications. Traditional symmetric supercapacitors with two identical electrodes work by storing energy electrostatically, by polarizing an electrolyte solution at the electrode surface. Most advanced ultracapacitors today use two carbon electrodes with an organic electrolyte. This creates a problem for designers, since the energy that carboncarbon electrodes are able to store effectively is limited, and the electrolyte is both expensive and potentially hazardous. The next generation of supercapacitors (asymmetric or hybrid supercapacitors) substitutes one of the carbon electrodes for a redox electrode similar to those used in batteries. The use of a battery-like electrode in combination with a carbon electrode increases the energy density considerably; though the power density decreases. STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES This study focuses on key ultracapacitor products and provides data about the size and growth of the ultracapacitors markets, company profiles and industry trends. Also, the goal of this report is to provide a detailed and comprehensive multi-client study of the markets in North America, Europe, Japan, China, India, Korea and the rest of the world (ROW) for ultracapacitors as well as potential business opportunities in the future. The objectives include thorough coverage of underlying economic issues driving the ultracapacitors business, as well as assessments of new, advanced ultracapacitors that companies are developing. Also covered are legislative pressures for more safety and environmental protection, as well as users expectations for economical ultracapacitors. Another important objective is to provide realistic market data and forecasts for ultracapacitors. This study provides the most thorough and up-to-date assessment that can be found anywhere on the subject. The study also provides extensive quantification of the many important facets of market development in ultracapacitors in the world. This, in turn, contributes to a determination of what kind of strategic response companies may adopt in order to compete in these dynamic markets. vii

11 Ultracapacitors users in developed markets must contend with twin pressures: to innovate and, at the same time, to reduce costs. New applications for ultracapacitors have been proposed in recent years. The popularity of these devices is due to their long cycle life and high power density relative to batteries. Ultracapacitors exhibit in principle unlimited cycle life and maintenance-free operation as an alternative to batteries in power circuits. A new, promising application for ultracapacitors is a pulse-power source in fuel cell and hybrid vehicle applications. The pulse-power source provides the peak power during acceleration and stores regenerative energy during braking. REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY The ultracapacitors market is an attractive and still-growing multi-million dollar market characterized by very high production volumes of ultracapacitors that must be both extremely reliable and low in cost. Growth in the ultracapacitors market continues to be driven by increasing demands for them in fuel-cell and hybridvehicle applications, for industrial systems and consumer electronics. Existing products will continue to find new applications, and new products will emerge to improve functionality. IRAP feels that with new-generation electric and hybrid vehicles coming into the market, there is a need to conduct a study in order to better understand both the technology and market dynamics. The ultracapacitors industry is complex and fast-moving, with manufacturers increasingly adopting a truly global view of the market. Around the world, consumers are demanding a high power density as well as extremely long cycle life, although the ultracapacitors energy density is small compared with that of batteries. Against this difficult background, manufacturers have attempted to achieve growth through company mergers and acquisitions, and by implementing global strategies. Ultracapacitors, once a technological novelty, are now mainstream and are showing significant sales volumes. As prices of ultracapacitors drop, better commercial viability and growing dissatisfaction with existing energy-storage solutions are expected to steer customers toward this emerging technology. Mobile applications are a strong area of growth for ultracapacitors as continuous product enhancements and value-added features such as on-line gaming and Wi-Fi accessibility necessarily require more power. Demand from the industrial sector is also expected to increase. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) and DC power systems are looking at incorporating ultracapacitors as the primary energystorage solution to boost power reliability. The report identifies and evaluates automotive electric product markets and technologies with keen potential growth. viii

12 CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY This study provides the most complete accounting of the ultracapacitors market growth in North America, Europe, Japan, China and the rest of the world currently available in a multi-client format. It provides the most thorough and up-to-date assessment that can be found anywhere on the subject. The study also provides extensive quantification of the many important facets of market developments in emerging markets for fuel-cell and hybrid-electric vehicles, such as China s. This quantification, in turn, contributes to the determination of what kind of strategic response suppliers may adopt in order to compete in these dynamic markets. Audiences for this study include marketing executives, business unit managers and other decisionmakers in the ultracapacitors companies, as well as in companies peripheral to this business. SCOPE AND FORMAT The market data contained in this report quantify opportunities for ultracapacitors. In addition to product types, this report also covers the many issues concerning the merits and future prospects of the ultracapacitors business, including corporate strategies, information technologies, and the means for providing these highly advanced product and service offerings. This report also covers in detail the economic and technological issues regarded by many as critical to the industry s current state of change. It provides a review of the ultracapacitors industry and its structure, and of the many companies involved in providing these products. The competitive positions of the main players in the ultracapacitors market and the strategic options they face are also discussed, along with such competitive factors as marketing, distribution and operations. METHODOLOGY The research methodology is qualitative in nature and employs a triangulative approach, which enhances its validity. Initially, a comprehensive and exhaustive search of the literature on automotive electric products was conducted. These secondary sources included ultracapacitors journals and related books, trade literature, marketing literature, other product/promotional literature, annual reports, ultracapacitors analysts reports, and other publications. A patent search and analysis was also conducted. In a second phase, a series of semi-structured fact-finding correspondence was conducted with marketing executives, product sales engineers, international sales managers, application engineers, and other personnel in the ultra-capacitors companies themselves. Other sources included energy-storage magazines published ix

13 in the U.S., Germany, Singapore and the U.K. by academics, technology suppliers, technical experts, trade-association officials, government officials and consulting companies. These were rich sources of data. Subsequent analysis of the documents and interview notes was iterative. The final process included techniques such as: preliminary research, fill-gap research, historical analysis of end-user market(s), historical supply chain / raw materials analysis, data consolidation, cross-linking, variance determination projections, variance factorization and confirmatory primary research. INFORMATION SOURCES Initially, a comprehensive and exhaustive search of the literature on ultracapacitors was conducted. These sources included the latest press releases on company websites including application news, company news, marketing news, product news, brochures, product literature, energy-storage magazines, technical journals, technical books, marketing literature, other promotional literature, annual reports, securities analysts reports and other energy-storage business publications. There are very little data in the available literature that analyze ultracapacitors as a whole; and the data that do exist, for the most part, present ultracapacitors as part of general-purpose electric products. The challenge was to identify the ultracapacitors market and evaluate how it fits into the ultracapacitors user industry globally. An extensive patent analysis was conducted to gauge technological innovation and to determine research activity as it applies to new product development. The second phase involved formal and informal telephone interviews and correspondence with personnel in ultracapacitors. Suppliers, design engineers, consulting companies, other technical experts, government officials and tradeassociation officials were also interviewed, as were personnel in ultracapacitors user companies. WHOM THE STUDY CATERS TO The study will benefit the existing manufacturers of capacitors who seek to expand revenues and market opportunities by expanding to new technology such as ultracapacitors, which are positioned to become a preferred solution for many energy-storage and power-delivery applications. Also, this study will benefit users of ultracapacitors who deal with new power-hungry electronic products such as wireless communications devices, the increasing use of electric power in vehicles, and the growing demand for highly reliable, maintenance-free backup power. These demands are creating significant markets for new and improved energy-storage and power-delivery solutions. For example, sizing the primary power source to meet x

14 transient peak-power requirements, rather than average- power requirements, is costly and inefficient. Primary energy sources can be designed to be smaller, lighter and less costly if they are coupled with specialized power components, such as ultracapacitors, that can deliver or absorb brief bursts of high power on demand for periods of time ranging from fractions of a second to several minutes. AUTHOR S CREDENTIALS Analyst B.L. Gupta, Bachelor of Engineering, mechanical engineer, has 35 years of R&D experience at key positions and has handled high-tech product development in a number of fields. Before starting his own consultancy in 2001, Gupta worked with leading ISO-9000 certified and reputed multinational companies. He has been a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers since 1996; Fellow of Institution of Engineers (India) since 2001; Charter Engineer of the Institution of Engineers (India) since 2001; member of the Consulting Development Centre, a Government of India society, since 2000; and member of the Bureau of Indian Standards working on formulation of national standards on printing presses and allied subjects since Market research studies conducted by the author include the following: Autoelectric Products A Global Industry and Market Analysis, Global Market of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Components, Global Market of Automotive Sensors, Global Market of Automotive Semiconductors, US Market of Industrial Sensors, xi