SEOUL — Volkswagen plans to progressively swap the kind of battery utilized in its electrical automobiles, three sources with data of the matter mentioned on Monday, leaving its provide offers with LG Vitality Resolution and SK Innovation unsure.

The automaker’s plan comes at a time when two main South Korean battery makers that manufacture the present pouch-type batteries for Volkswagen, LG Vitality Resolution and SK Innovation, have been locked in a legal battle in america over allegations of misappropriation of commerce secrets and techniques associated to EV battery know-how.

VW plans to make use of the prismatic sort of battery in its electrical vehicles, more and more turning to provides from China’s Up to date Amperex Expertise Co., South Korea’s Cash Right this moment on-line information website reported earlier on Monday, citing unnamed South Korean battery business sources.

CATL additionally provides prismatic cells to Tesla Inc.

Volkswagen declined to remark. LG Vitality Resolution, a unit of LG Chem, mentioned it doesn’t touch upon market hypothesis, whereas SK Innovation declined to remark.

Volkswagen plans to announce its battery procurement plans at its Energy Day occasion on Monday. VW Group CEO Herbert Diess despatched out the invitation final week via Twitter and LinkedIn.

Boosting battery experience and securing adequate provides can be important for VW to ship on plans for the business’s largest fleet of electrical automobiles.

The German automaker intends to roughly double the share of its international gross sales which can be purely battery-powered vehicles to between 6 and eight % in 2021 and slim a quantity hole with Tesla.

Prismatic cells, as described by NHTSA, are constructed in a wound or flat plate configuration. In pouch cells, the layers are stacked or folded, packed beneath vacuum and held collectively by the pouch.

Automotive Information contributed to this report.