Valence Technology
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Battery manufacturing |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Lev Dawson |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Lithium iron phosphate cathode materials, lithium-ion battery modules and packs |
| Owner | Lithion Battery Inc. |
Valence Technology, Inc. specialized in the design and production of lithium iron phosphate cathode materials along with lithium-ion battery modules and packs available in 12 V, 18 V, 24 V, and 36 V variants. Their product range supports electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), encompassing cars, scooters, motorcycles, buses, delivery vans, and trucks. Additionally, Valence batteries are utilized in applications such as wheelchairs, medical carts, robotics, marine vessels, rail systems, and stationary setups including remote power sources, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), energy storage systems, frequency regulation, and switching equipment.
History
Established in 1989 by Lev Dawson as a research-focused enterprise, Valence Technology was based in Henderson, Nevada, with operational sites in Las Vegas, Nevada; Mallusk in Northern Ireland; and Suzhou, China. The company is presently owned by Lithion Battery Inc.
Valence holds a broad portfolio of international patents related to lithium phosphate technology, covering both granted and pending patents. The manufacturing of cathode materials and battery packs is conducted through two fully owned subsidiaries, including Valence Energy Tech located in Suzhou, China.
Notable companies employing Valence's battery technology include:
- Segway PT for their Segway Personal Transporter.
- Segway SE-3 Patroller.
- PVI – A French firm developing electric vehicle platforms exclusively for Renault Trucks along with electric buses and other vehicle types.
- EVI-USA – A United States manufacturer producing commercial delivery vehicles that are fully electric or hybrid-powered, such as the EviLightTruck.
- Enova Systems for plug-in hybrid school buses by IC Bus.
- Optare Buses.
- Mercedes – providing lithium battery storage solutions for the Mercedes eVito.
- Rubbermaid Medical Carts.
Recent events
In 2009, Valence entered into development agreements with Siemens to develop interfaces tailored for hybrid marine applications and with S&C Electric to advance stationary energy storage technologies.
Around 2007, the company pivoted its focus towards Europe due to the region’s early adoption of electric delivery vans and hybrid buses. By 2009, Valence secured contracts with UK-based Smith Electric Vehicles, French manufacturer PVI, and Italian firm Oxygen SpA, known for producing the electric Cargoscooter. Other UK companies such as Modec and Wrightbus also tested Valence batteries. These collaborations linked Valence with major automotive manufacturers including Renault (via PVI), Peugeot (through Oxygen), Volvo (partnered with Wrightbus), as well as Ford and Isuzu through Smith Electric Vehicles.
On July 12, 2012, Valence Technology filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Texas, reporting assets near $31.5 million against liabilities exceeding $82 million.
The company reemerged from bankruptcy as a private entity on November 13, 2013.
In 2014, Valence expanded into the marine industry by supplying battery systems for a hybrid tugboat.
In 2015, it established a global supply partnership with Exide.
Lithium Werks acquired Valence in 2018. Subsequently in 2020, Lithium Werks divested the Valence battery module segment to Lithion.
See also
- List of companies based in Austin, Texas
- Lithium iron phosphate
- Lithium iron phosphate battery
- Thermal runaway