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SUMMARY
The rechargeable portable power packs industry has received a tremendous boost
from the current global economic growth. Portable power is projected to be a
dynamic and fast growing sector, which will be driven by the demand for
consumer electronics and portability in the world. Led by the growing business
activity in North America and Asia, the global economic growth driving this
market is projected to expand at a consistently stable rate over the next
several years. The projected growth in the power pack market should be more
steady and consistent than over the past several years. With the abundance of
available data sources and observed economic growth, a more traditional
forecasting model will be presented.
One of the forces driving this market is the worldwide demand for increased
communication. As a result of this demand, the mobile phone sector will boom.
The mobile phone sector will hold the largest percentage of the power pack
market in all of the regions examined. As this demand for these devices
continues to grow and more are manufactured, they will become smarter and more
multifunctional. The number will increase and they will take market share away
from the PDA segment. Once touted as the hottest trend in the wireless
industry, the PDA will eventually become absorbed into the mobile phone
market. The feature of convergence, once thought to be the most redeeming
strength of the PDA segment, has become its demise.
The fastest-growing application in the Worldwide market will be the notebook
computer segment. As they become faster and more powerful, they will be seen
as a practical substitute to desktop computers in both businesses and homes.
As the price gap between the two narrows, notebooks will increase their market
share at the expense of desktops. In addition, new sub-segments such as Ultra
Mobile Personal Computers (UMPCs) are emerging and creating new opportunities
and increased competitive pressures. Given the increased demand for instant
communication and advancements in the transfer of information, mobile
computing and wireless communications will drive the demand for the next
computer generation. Li-ion has emerged as the power source of choice among
most of the applications studied. Along with Li-polymer, it will take market
share from NiMH in an increasing number of applications, including mobile
phones, digital cameras, notebook computers and PDAs. The migration to Lithium
batteries from the other battery chemistries will be seen in all of the
applications considered within this report with the exception of cordless
phones and power tools.
For the purposes of portable electronic devices, the direct methanol fuel cell
(DMFC) is the focus of research for most power pack companies, battery
manufacturers and manufacturers of electronic devices. The purpose of the
development of (DMFCs) is to comply with the demand for an uninterrupted power
source within the portable electronics industry. DMFCs not only provides a
convenient and fast rechargeable power source for portable electronics, but
also strengthens the power system design capability of domestic industry.
Methanol fuel has several advantages including light-weight, small size, long
duration, and easy fuel replenishment. DMFCs are best candidate for micro fuel
cell applications, such as mobile phone, personal computer and electronic
gadgets. However, the technological and economic challenge is that fuel cells
must compete on price, weight, reliability, availability and performance at
the same time that more manufacturers are providing lithium batteries at
reduced pricing. Also, the current advancements and improvements in power
management and utilization may minimize the need for DMFCs. Within the battery
area itself, new materials (especially nano-structured materials) are being
developed which promise to deliver increased performance and reduced costs.
The rechargeable power pack market is not an easy market to enter and
competition among manufacturers is fierce. The growing market for portable
devices, combined with the declining rate of individual cell prices, the need
for modern production facilities, and an abundant workforce with reasonable
labor costs have turned Asia into the world's manufacturing center for
rechargeable batteries. In addition to other positive factors, recent battery
recalls and other adverse events have had a negative short-term impact on
growth. Over the next five years, however, the portable power segment will
continue to present above average growth opportunities.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Application Market Drivers
- Notebook Computers
- Mobile Phones
- Handheld Computers
- Digital Cameras
- Portable Audio/Video Players
- Professional Video Recorders
- Power Tools
- Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
- Two-Way Radios
- Medical
- Business Models
- Battery Standards
- Price Elasticity of Demand
- External Battery Opportunities
- Effect of Battery Recalls and Adverse Events
- Transport of Batteries
- Technological Developments and Threats
- USB Powering
- Fuel Cells
- Power Management IC Developments
- Fuel Gauge ICs
- Battery Materials Developments
- Nano-Materials
- Commercial Developments
- Graph 1 - Worldwide Battery Pack Market, Li-polymer (price elasticity)
- Table 1 - Universal Battery Applications, Potential Requirements
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