LG takes EVE Energy patent fight to U.S. court, trade commission

A patent fight is brewing between two big battery makers, though it has little to do with home solar or storage systems. LG Energy Solution, based in South Korea, has sued Chinese battery maker EVE Energy in a US federal court in Texas, and has also asked the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to block imports of certain EVE battery products. The lawsuit also names power-tool companies like Bosch, Koki Holdings, and Chervon, which use EVE's battery cells in their products.

The dispute centers on five US patents covering cylindrical battery cell designs and a separator technology used inside batteries. Nothing in the filings suggests this touches EVE's large-format batteries, the kind used in home energy storage systems. The batteries in question appear to be smaller cylindrical cells, mostly tied to power tools rather than household solar-battery setups.

EVE says it has not infringed on any patents and plans to fight the case. The ITC has not yet decided whether to formally investigate, and no ruling has been made on the underlying patent claims. If the case does move forward and EVE loses, some of its cylindrical battery cells and products using them could eventually be blocked from entering the US, which might affect power-tool brands that rely on those cells. For now, this is a legal dispute between manufacturers with no clear connection to home energy-efficiency upgrades or rebate programs.