Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily

Intensifying price competition from South Korean battery manufacturers has driven Sanyo Electric Co. and GS Yuasa Corp. to dissolve their long-standing lithium-ion battery joint venture (JV). According to a joint announcement, the liquidation of the Sanyo GS Soft Energy Co. JV was inevitable as the venture had posted net losses for two years running. The decision to dissolve the JV may hinder Sanyo's ability to collect loans valued at 4 billion yen ($47.5 million U.S. at the current exchange rate) and will force GS Yuasa to report a special loss of 3 billion yen ($35.6 million U.S.). Neither Sanyo nor GS Yuasa intends to modify their projected earnings outlooks for 2010.

GS Yuasa's numerous JVs with automakers such as Honda and Mitsubishi imply that the company has no intentions of leaving the li-ion battery industry. Meanwhile, Sanyo's split with GS Yuasa will not effect its existing deals with automakers and battery producers, nor should it impact Sanyo's long-term goals of increased li-ion battery production. In the automotive industry, mergers and breakups are inevitable and we're sure that neither Sanyo nor GS Yuasa will shed tears over dissolving this money-losing JV.

[Source: Nikkei]Sanyo, GS Yuasa dissolve money-losing li-ion battery JV originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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