Chinese electric vehicle (EV) seller BYD will stop pouch-type battery production for hybrid vehicles due to potential concerns over material leakage.
It is reported that the company has already started converting its production lines for pouch-type cells into prismatic batteries.
The process started with two plants located in Shaanxi and Zhejiang. However, its third plant in Qinghai will also turn into a colorful battery production site by 2024, which is still making pouch-type batteries.
For now, BYD or Chinese regulators have not reported any of the issues regarding the pouch-type battery. Yet, experts in BYD and industry say that such batteries have a higher chance of leaking electrolytes.
Top automakers from the industry already refused the use of pouch-type batteries including Volkswagen and Tesla.
Electric and hybrid vehicles use three types of batteries – cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch type. The first two use hard materials and are used in consumer electronics devices and pouch batteries are light in design but carry a risk of corrosion and are vulnerable during crash.
(source)