Since Sony begun its mass production of lithium batteries in 1991, the manufacturers from Japan maintained their leading positions in the industry. However in recent years as manufacturers from China and South Korea joined the competition, Japan’s market share continuously dropped over the years. In 2009, the global market scale for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries was about USD 9.25 billion. As China manufacturers have continuously developed over the years, they relied on the niches of an immense domestic market and as the manufacturing base for adjacent downstream application products, to gradually accumulate capability and obtained influence within the industry. China’s battery production manufacturers include BYD, BAK and Lishen, which have become top ten in the global market. On one hand, these manufacturers merge other small manufacturers to expand....