E-One Moli Energy Corp. is a Taiwanese manufacturer of
lithium-ion batteries. It was founded in 1998 and focused on producing high capacity energy cells for notebook computers, high-end electronics and networking communication devices under the "Molicel" brand.
In 2004, it partnered with
Milwaukee Electric Tool
The Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation is an American company that develops, manufactures, and markets power tools. It is a brand and subsidiary of Techtronic Industries. Since 2016 it has been the largest supplier by volume of cordless power ...
to develop a high energy power cell for cordless power tools, with its first power tool model introduced in 2005. It has also provided batteries to
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
for electric cars, and in 2008 became the first qualified battery supplier for
BMW MINI E.
Its E-One Moli Energy (Canada) Limited division has a facility in
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Maple Ridge is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the northeastern section of Greater Vancouver between the Fraser River and the Golden Ears, which is a group of mountain summits which are the southernmost of the Garibald ...
that is the only North American high volume manufacturer of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. It has been listed by the
Critical Foreign Dependencies Initiative
The Critical Foreign Dependencies Initiative (CFDI) is a strategy and list, maintained by the United States Department of Homeland Security, of foreign infrastructure which "if attacked or destroyed would critically impact the U.S." A copy of the 2 ...
as a result.
History
The history of E-One Moli Energy goes back to Moli Energy Ltd., the Canadian pioneer of
rechargeable lithium battery technology, founded in 1977 in the
Greater Vancouver suburb of
Burnaby
Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...
. Moli Energy went into receivership after a cell phone battery produced by the company caught fire in 1989, resulting in its sales being halted and tens of thousands of phones getting recalled.
The failure of Moli's battery technology caused a shift towards safer
intercalation electrode materials.
The company was then acquired by "a consortium of Japanese tech companies" for CAD 5 million in a deal with the
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
government. The deal was criticized for being far below the value of Moli's patents. In 1994 the company became Nippon Moli Energy Corp. and in 1997 it became NEC Moli Energy Corp. In 1998 it merged with Taiwanese E-One Technology forming the current E-One Moli Energy Corp.
References
Energy companies established in 1998
Lithium-ion batteries
Manufacturing companies established in 1998
Manufacturing companies based in Taipei
Taiwanese companies established in 1998
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