Abstract
This report:
- Analyzes the portable product industry
- Looks at the secondary and primary battery industry
- Makes five-year market projections
- Examines power station and battery charger markets
- Outlines industry structures
- Profiles leading companies.
INTRODUCTION
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The market for portable, battery-powered products has grown from a few
well-established niches, such as flashlights and wristwatches, to a diverse,
rapidly growing market that encompasses electronic computers, communications
and entertainment products, a variety of cordless tools, and whole new classes
of military and medical products. This diversity has been accomplished because
of a unique synergy between the products themselves, the batteries they
employ, and the battery charger and power-management systems that charge the
batteries.
Several entirely new classes of batteries have been commercialized during the
past 25 years, including nickel-metal hydride, lithium polymer, lithium-ion,
lithium-polymer, rechargeable alkaline, and zinc-air designs. Meanwhile,
improved microelectronic battery charger controller technology allows the
commercialization of higher performance, smaller, and safer designs. This, in
turn, has allowed the commercialization of portable products that would be
impossible without improved battery chargers (notably portable computers,
cellular telephones, and cordless hand tools). At the same time, competitively
priced nonrechargeable primary batteries remain an established power source
for many kinds of portable products.
As this synergy continues to develop, there are areas where the portable
product, battery, and battery charger industry could experience the explosive
growth usually associated with emerging industries. Battery designers (mainly
electrochemists) and battery charger designers (mainly electrical and
electronics specialists) will continue to operate together, with new batteries
and new battery chargers evolving in tandem to produce even higher-performance
products.
At the same time, competing portable power sources will be commercialized.
Photovoltaics are already a niche market. Capacitive power storage is used in
very specialized portable product applications. The most promising competing
portable power sources are fuel cells. This report describes these
competitors, assesses their potential, and discusses how they can also
supplement portable product batteries.
REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY
After spectacular growth, the portable battery-powered-product market is
retrenching. Overall sales for some market sectors are level. Technical
advances and a realignment of product, battery, and charger industry players
must be matched by new marketing attitudes. On the other hand, battery
designers and battery charger designers must continue to cooperate to meet
more-demanding design requirements. With this in mind, this analysis is
intended to be the most complete technical, economic, and business document of
this type on battery-powered products and is designed to provide information
of a professional nature. The technical data are dependent on the accuracy of
the manufacturers and technical sources that helped to make up the BCC
Research database. This report is not intended to constitute a legal or
accounting document, nor is it an endorsement of any given product or process.
The authors and BCC Research, as the publisher, assume no liability for loss
or damage as a result of reliance on this material.
SCOPE OF REPORT
First, this report organizes the portable product industry into the following
market sectors:
- Communications and multi-functional handhelds
- Entertainment
- Computers
- Navigation
- Cameras
- Timepieces
- Tools
- Lighting
- Toys and novelties
- Medical
- Scientific
- Military
Each portable product market sector is defined, leading companies for each
sector are identified, and the market sectors are analyzed, including a 5-year
market prediction. The following kinds of batteries are then discussed:
Rechargeable
- Nickel-cadmium (nicad)
- Nickel-metal hydride
- Lithium batteries (including lithium-ion and lithium-polymer)
- Specialty rechargeable batteries (including lead-acid, rechargeable
alkaline, nickel-zinc, silver-zinc, and silver-cadmium)
Non-rechargeable
- Zinc-carbon primary batteries
- Non-rechargeable manganese zinc alkaline
- Non-rechargeable lithium
- Specialty non-rechargeable (including zinc-air, silver oxide, and
magnesium)
These battery power sources are also compared to two new portable power
supplies - ultracapacitors and fuel cells. Again, each battery market sector
is defined, leading companies are identified, and the market is analyzed,
including a 5-year market prediction. Finally, original equipment markets
(OEM) and charging-station battery charger markets are analyzed. Portable
product, battery, and battery charger companies are identified and profiled.
Throughout the report, past market data are expressed in current dollars, and
estimates and predictions are in constant 2008 dollars. Wholesale markets for
2007 and predictions for 2008 and 2013 are provided. Most market summaries are
based on a consensus scenario that assumes no unanticipated technical advances
and no unexpected legislation. Totals are rounded to the nearest million
dollars.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
This report is intended to provide a unique analysis of the global portable
battery-powered-product market and will be of interest to manufacturers of
battery chargers and battery charger components, as well as a variety of
portable product makers. This report will also be valuable to those involved
in secondary battery development and marketing, as well as those offering
competing nonrechargeable batteries. Nonbattery power source makers, such as
fuel-cell and ultracapacitor makers, can use this report to assess the
ultimate size of their target market. Current and potential battery consumers,
as well as those in the military and the medical professions, can determine
existing or potential portable product, battery, or battery charger markets.
These end users will learn what designs battery systems will and will not
allow. BCC wishes to thank those companies, government agencies, and
university researchers who contributed information for this report.
INFORMATION SOURCES
This report is based on literature reviews, patent examinations, and
discussions with commercial and government sources. Market assumptions used in
this report include those based on updates of material from an earlier version
of this analysis, as well as from the BCC Research study Lithium Batteries:
Markets and Materials. This report' s author prepared these studies as well.
Although many segments of the industry are well documented, much of this
information is based on estimates, not hard facts. The distinction between
these estimates and hard facts can be vital, and wherever possible, sources
are identified.
When appropriate, information from previously published sources is identified
to allow a more detailed examination by clients.
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