Cobalt prices have reached another record high in 1Q18, according to the data from EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce. As the result, the prices of lithium-ion battery cells are estimated to increase by 5~15% QoQ in 3Q18, but would have a chance to remain flat in the fourth quarter.
According to the latest research by TrendForce, the market of automotive mmWave radar expects rapid growth with the shipment estimated at 65 million units in 2018; the CAGR is expected to be 15% from 2018 to 2023. The growth momentum comes from China’s adoption of C-NCAP, a car safety assessment program, and NHTSA’s new regulation that makes automatic emergency braking system as a standard feature for new cars.
The total revenue from the global top 10 providers of outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) service for 1H18 is estimated to grow by 10.5% YoY, reaching US$11.12 billion, reports TrendForce. Particularly, JCET, TSHT and TFME, the major three Chinese OSAT providers, are projected to represent a share of 26.9% in the total revenue of the top 10 providers in 1H18, hitting a new record high.
According to the latest research by TrendForce, the demand for sensing camera in automotive OE (Original Equipment) market will see considerable growth in 2018, driven by the development of smart vehicles in high-end market and the establishment of regulations in the U.S., the EU, Japan and China. The shipments of sensing camera in automotive OE market are expected to reach 121 million units in 2018, a year-on-year growth of 63% compared with 74 million units in 2017.
According to the latest data from EnergyTrend, a division of TrendForce, cobalt prices continued to rise in 2018 and soared by more than 20% in the first quarter. The rise of raw material prices results from short-term capital speculation and high supplier concentration. This concentrated industry structure may continue to push up the prices in long term. The soaring costs of raw material will be reflected in prices of lithium batteries and new energy vehicles quarter by quarter. This is also a challenge for the battery industry, which has been figuring out ways to reduce the dependence on cobalt.