Interview with Grepow Battery - Becoming the "different" Type of New Energy with Technological Breakthroughs

Founded in 1998, Shenzhen Grepow Battery Co., Ltd. was named Grepow in English, which is taken from the meaning of "green energy" (green power). The company's main product at the beginning is the environmentally friendly rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.

At the recently concluded Global Sources Hong Kong China Mobile Electronics Show in October, Grepow brought its new products and customized services to the show, where new technologies and industries represented by smart technologies made a big splash. On the spot, World Manager visited the booth and interviewed its Emerging Business Department Manager, Mr. Junlin Li.

Meet the demand of battery integration and customization

World Manager learned that Grepow is a solution provider that can provide customers with customized solutions to meet their battery integration and customization needs. Its battery products are widely used in industrial and special electronic equipment, civilian electronic equipment and special applications, etc. Grepow currently produces three main types of products - lithium polymer batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries, but also specializes in the production of a variety of specifications and performance of unique features of the batteries, including: shaped batteries, batteries with a temperature of minus 50 ℃, batteries with a temperature of minus 50 ℃, and batteries that can be customized. In addition, Grepow also specializes in making various kinds of batteries with unique specifications and performance, including: shaped batteries with customized shapes, ultra-low-temperature batteries that can work at -50℃, ultra-high-magnification batteries that meet the requirements of high-power charging and discharging (1~50C), 4.45V ultra-high-voltage batteries, 811 Li-ion ternary ultra-high-energy-density batteries (≥275Wh/kg), and 5C super-fast-charging batteries.

Grepow attaches importance to the research and development of product technology innovation, and invests a large amount of financial and human resources in research and development of new products and technologies every year. As of the end of June 2019, the company has applied for 205 patents, and has obtained 148 authorized patents, applied for 11 international patents, and 25 registered trademarks.

Grepow has won many awards in China for its strong technological strength, including "Shenzhen Top 100 Enterprises in Science and Technology" by Shenzhen Science and Technology Bureau in September 2001, "National Torch Plan Project" in 2003, and "First Production Base of Nickel-Metal Hydride Power Battery for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)" by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, "National High-tech Battery Production Base in December 2008". In December 2008, the company was honored as one of the first high-tech enterprises in China.

Finding the answer to the industry's roll

　　Since then, Grepow began to expand its business, spreading its influence to more areas and regions. 2008, Grepow entered the field of lithium-ion batteries, and in 2011 launched a high-magnification lithium iron phosphate batteries; in 2012, it began to enter the drone industry, providing lithium-ion batteries dedicated to drones, and became the world's earliest entry into the battery supply system for consumer drones; in the same year, Grepow also set up a shaped battery department, specializing in research and development of shaped batteries, and in 2014 developed the first rechargeable shaped lithium batteries -  curved batteries, to enter the wearable field.

　　Manager Junlin Li of the Emerging Business Department, who was interviewed at the site, said that shaped batteries are one of the directions that the company is currently focusing on. "Originally we are mainly to drone batteries, the situation at that time is the market lithium polymer battery applications are traditional, such as MP3, Bluetooth headphones, rechargeable batteries, including smart watches, these industries have a large number of shipments, but faced with a big problem, the competition is very fierce, rolled up very strong. So at that time, the board of directors decided that we needed to open up a new way. By coincidence, one of our customers in the smart bracelet program asked us if we could make the battery curved. We felt that this was a direction, so we chose to give it a try." According to Manager Li, Grepow has long-term cooperation with international famous brand smart ring companies, and shaped battery products account for more than 30% of the company's sales.

Seeking a blue ocean market based on technological prowess

　　According to a recent report in the Financial Times, there are now nearly 109,000 energy storage companies in China, a number more than double that of three years ago. The roll of energy storage companies on the track has made domestic companies, large and small, feel the pressure. Some industry insiders estimate that by 2025 China's battery production capacity could reach 3000GWh, while shipments are only 1200GWh, with obvious overcapacity. And with the technical strength to cut into the market segments, or even dig the blue ocean, is undoubtedly Grepow to deal with the new energy track involution and find a way out.

　　In 2015, Grepow launched 120C special battery for emergency starting power supply to enter the auto parts market. 2019, Grepow launched -40℃ ultra-low temperature rechargeable battery. 2022, Shenzhen Grepow Battery Co., Ltd. launched patented product "non-destructive welding sealing technology" lithium-ion steel shell button battery. Grepow launched the first agricultural plant protection high-power intelligent charger TA3000, launched the "UAV Battery G3" concept.

　　Today, Grepow is still on the road of technological breakthroughs. Manager Li said, "For us, no matter what challenges and problems we encounter, it will promote better learning, urge (enterprises) to continue to make progress, and urge our R & D to improve their capabilities, so I think this challenge is benign."