NEC and Fuji Heavy Industries have dissolved their joint venture for developing automotive manganese lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.
Kyodo News said NEC Lamilion Energy, which was established in May 2002 and held 51% by NEC and 49% by Fuji, has now become a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC amd will continue to promote manganese lithium-ion battery business for hybrid and electric automobiles.
The news agency cited an NEC statement which said the two companies agreed to dissolve the joint venture as NEC Lamilion Energy now has the prospect of developing a long-life battery based on high-power cells.
It has also achieved the development of vehicle integration technology via in-house evaluation, which was the initial goal of the joint venture, NEC said.
Since its establishment, the joint venture has focused on the planning and development of rechargeable batteries, which have been developed to a level capable of becoming the global de facto standard through the integration of NEC’s laminate-type manganese lithium-ion cell technology and Fuji Heavy’s battery pack technology, according to NEC.

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataNEC will aim at mass production of such rechargeable batteries as it believes their market volume could surpass JPY30bn in the year 2015 with expansion of the market for electric and hybrid automobiles, vehicles powered by a petrol engine and electric motor, it said, according to Kyodo News.
NEC and Fuji Heavy have agreed to continue their partnership in development and manufacturing areas following the dissolution of the joint venture, NEC said.
NEC Lamilion Energy will maintain business relations with Fuji Heavy regarding the development and production of rechargeable batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles, which include supply of products to Fuji Heavy, according to NEC.