The list of stocks relevant to the battery sector have an interesting degree of diversity, valuation and share price. Obvious contenders are recognizable, multi-billion-dollar names like Energizer ($ENR), Panasonic ($PCRFY) and Tesla ($TSLA); dig a little deeper and you’ll unearth, among others, lithium supplier Albermarle ($ALB), and KULR Technology Group ($KULR), a developer of battery safety and thermal management technologies. The historical and potential application of KULR’s technology gives the company an enviable position in the battery sector.
The current $15.2 billion global EV battery market is expected to grow at CAGR of nearly 17% by 2025. Driving this forecast is a swelling field of forward-thinking automakers and investments into the infrastructure and policies needed to accommodate more EVs.
As a result, the value of lithium, one of the key elements used to make the batteries that power EVs and other electronics, is also on the rise. The global lithium-ion battery market is set to exceed $100 billion within the next four years, growing at 18% CAGR. The success of this roaring market hinges on the performance and safety of every battery.
Space-Grade Cooling Solutions
Thermal protection and heat dissipation technology is designed to enhance the performance and safety of lithium-batteries, which is particularly important as consumers demand smaller, faster, more efficient battery technologies.
Over the years, the team at KULR has designed over 100 different heat management configurations for NASA and other aerospace, U.S. government and commercial customers, where efficient cooling and weight restrictions are vital for mission success. In 2017, the company designed for NASA’s NICER mission a system to keep the components from freezing during exploration of deep space neutron stars, and in 2018 KULR became the exclusive licensee of NASA’s internal short circuit (ISC) testing technology. Battery testing with internal short circuit (ISC) technology accompanied with passive propagation resistant (PPR) design enables KULR to build out an eco-system of products and solutions for battery products. More recently, KULR’s Thermal Runaway Shield (TRS) technology was used to safely ship to and store laptop batteries aboard the International Space Station.
Now, the company is taking advantage of the opportunity to expand into mass markets such as electric transportation and energy storage.
Electric Vehicles (EV)
In 2019, roughly 3.3 million EVs were on the road, a slim figure compared to projections the number will grow to 27 million EVs by 2027. Accelerated investments from Tesla and other major automakers into EV endeavors further indicate that this market is on fire – literally.
KULR’s carbon fiber thermal interface (FTI) material enables EV manufactures to make their products cooler, lighter and safer – preventing the dangerous battery fires and explosions. The company recently signed a partnership with Drako Motors to integrate its NASA-grade thermal management platform into a battery for Drako’s quad motor 1,200 horsepower, 206 mph luxury electric supercar, Drako GTE. The battery in Drako GTE is designed from the ground-up for megawatt power output and cooling capabilities to withstand track-level performance on the world’s most challenging circuits. Capable of outputting 1,800 continuous and 2,200 peak amps, Drako GTE is believed to have the highest continuous output EV battery in production today.
5G Cellular Network and Cloud Computing Industries
Rapid growth of the 5G industry is on course to displace current 4G cellular network technologies. The 5G infrastructure market is forecast to reach nearly $497 billion by 2027, pacing at an astounding 106.4% CAGR.
KULR is collaborating with Tier-1 companies in the 5G infrastructure and cloud computing (worth $266 billion in 2019) spaces to use its thermal interface materials to design and develop solutions that enhance performance and safety standards.
Energy Storage and Transport
KULR recently partnered with Volta Energy Products Inc., a provider of high-energy capacity energy storage solutions designed for safety and power for residential, institutional, commercial and industrial applications. Under this agreement, KULR’s passive propagation resistant (PPR) technology will be implemented into stationary energy storage modules from the grid to serve as immediate backup in case of power outages, as well as for supplemental energy during peak demand.
Aerospace and Beyond
Later this month, KULR’s space-qualified technology will again be put into orbit. At the end of July, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will incorporate KULR’s thermal architecture to absorb and mitigate rapid temperature changes as the rover searches for signs of life on Mars. Keeping lasers, censors and other components within a desired temperature range is critical for the global space battery market, which is set to hit $146 billion by 2023.
The KULR team has proven itself an essential partner for aerospace, government and consumer projects of this caliber, giving it a win-win position in the battery market. As innovators around the world continue to advance the world of electronics, whichever innovation takes the lead and clutches success, KULR is well-prepared to apply its strong IP portfolio of space-proven technology to take the product to the next level.
