U.S. battery industry twists and turns, and now is struggling to recover.

    Over the past few years, U.S. companies enter the international market and to supply advanced battery electric vehicle competition. Some start-up capital of the company was able to get strong support, with great expectations into this game, mainly due to the risk of investors on the future of this booming market expectations, and the U.S. government fostered a domestic green manufacturing industry hope.

    However, as of now, the development is disappointing. As the high production costs, some of the battery manufacturers have been high-profile competitors slap in the face of Asia, to promote the progress of electric vehicles is slower than expected fuel. Now, these companies wake up and started working to cut costs, reduce the scale of production, and efforts to develop other markets, such as grid energy storage with high-capacity battery market.

    Problems led some experts worry that this new industry will suffer and the U.S. solar panel manufacturers have the same fate ©¤ ©¤ often in the eye of the next playing with toys.

    PricewaterhouseCoopers PRTM Group (PwC'sPRTM) electric motor transport business head of Oliver • Hazi Mei (OliverHazimeh) posed a question answered, the U.S. battery industry as a whole, some industry giants to compete with it? May be able to, but need to be found outside in the car business a stable source of orders.

    Excitedly starting

    Just about two years ago, the U.S. battery industry seems to usher in a good start. Obama's Recovery Act in 2009 agreed to allocate $ 2.4 billion in subsidies automotive batteries and battery materials production, to promote the battery costs down, encourage the promotion of electric vehicles.

    At the same time, people began to venture capital start-up businesses to invest in advanced batteries a lot of money. Dow Jones Risk Resources (DowJonesVentureSource) data show that since 2003, entered the field of advanced battery venture capital reached 15.5 billion U.S. dollars.

    Later, however, have found the battery market is full of challenges. Since this is an emerging field, battery manufacturers have to rely on a few potential customers. High production costs, must be large-scale production in order to reduce unit production costs, but the current demand and less stable.

    Ener1Inc.'s Plight illustrates the problem. The company qualified as a subsidy under the ARRA object, has received $ 118 million subsidy commitments of approximately $ 55 million. But recently, since the main customers ThinkGlobal small electric vehicles failed to meet sales targets and proposed for bankruptcy protection, Ener1 delisting from Nasdaq, and replace the management.

    Some analysts worry that the company does not have enough customers, suspect still can regroup. Ener1's spokesman Brian • Xinde Sen (BrianSinderson) said the company is working from the bus and truck manufacturers to find new buyers, but also open up the grid and the industrial battery business.

    The world's largest conventional automotive lead-acid battery maker Johnson Controls, Inc. (JohnsonControlsInc.) had also fallen into advanced batteries is expected to reduce their embarrassment. 2009 with funding from the federal subsidy, the company vowed to build an annual output of 30 million set of automobile battery factory. However, due to lack of demand, the company's actual place of production only reached half the level of the program. Johnson Controls Power Solutions president Alex Molina • Raleigh (AlexMolinaroli) that we do not want to see the machine in place after being idle