Molicel
Molicel is the battery brand of E-One Moli Energy Corp., a lithium-ion cell manufacturer serving electronics, power tools, automotive, and energy-storage applications.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Molicel is the principal brand of E-One Moli Energy Corp., a Taiwanese lithium-ion battery manufacturer with historical roots in Canada. The company was formed in 1998 through the combination of Taiwanese E-One Technology and the Canadian battery business that had developed from Moli Energy. Under the Molicel name, it has focused on high-capacity and high-power rechargeable cells for notebook computers, high-end electronics, networking equipment, cordless power tools, electric vehicles, and related industrial applications. The business is linked to the earlier Moli Energy, a Canadian rechargeable-lithium-battery pioneer established in 1977 in Burnaby, British Columbia, by the University of British Columbia and Teck Mining Corp. That predecessor developed lithium battery technology at a time when rechargeable lithium systems were still emerging. Its history also includes a major safety failure: a mobile-phone battery caught fire in 1989, contributing to product recalls, halted sales, and the company’s entry into receivership. The incident became part of the broader industry shift toward safer lithium-ion electrode chemistries. After the receivership, Moli Energy was acquired by a consortium of Japanese technology companies in a transaction involving the British Columbia government. It subsequently operated as Nippon Moli Energy from 1994 and NEC Moli Energy from 1997. The 1998 combination with E-One Technology created E-One Moli Energy Corp., which continued to commercialize battery cells under the Molicel brand. Molicel expanded beyond consumer electronics during the 2000s. In 2004, it partnered with Milwaukee Electric Tool to develop a high-energy cell for cordless power tools, and the first power-tool product using the collaboration’s technology was introduced in 2005. The company also supplied batteries to Ford for electric vehicles and became a qualified battery supplier for the BMW MINI E program in 2008. These activities helped position Molicel as a specialist supplier of high-power cells rather than only a maker of commodity consumer batteries. The company has maintained a Canadian presence through E-One Moli Energy (Canada) Limited, including a facility in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. In November 2023, E-One Moli announced a planned investment of C$796 million in a Western Canadian lithium-cell manufacturing plant. The proposed facility was described as a future source of approximately 450 skilled jobs, with production targeted for 2028. The project was suspended on November 22, 2024, before the anticipated production start. Molicel remains associated with rechargeable lithium-cell manufacturing and serves business-to-business customers across electronics, tools, transportation, and energy-related applications. Its public history combines early Canadian battery research, international ownership changes, partnerships with major equipment and automotive companies, and continuing investment in manufacturing capacity. A 2025 fire at a Molicel plant in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, further demonstrated the operational and safety risks inherent in large-scale battery production; the reported incident injured workers and firefighters and caused substantial estimated damage.
History
Molicel’s corporate history combines the legacy of Canadian battery pioneer Moli Energy with the later Taiwanese ownership and manufacturing structure of E-One Moli Energy Corp. The earlier Moli Energy was established in 1977 in Burnaby, British Columbia, by the University of British Columbia and Teck Mining Corp. Teck’s chairman, Norman Keevil Sr., was identified as the lead investor. The company worked on rechargeable lithium battery technology during a formative period for the industry, when technical approaches and safety standards were still developing. Moli Energy suffered a severe setback in 1989 when a lithium battery used in a mobile phone caught fire. Sales were halted and tens of thousands of phones were recalled. The failure contributed to the company entering receivership and influenced the industry’s movement toward safer intercalation-electrode materials for rechargeable lithium systems. The episode remains an important part of the company’s history because it connected early lithium-battery commercialization with the safety challenges that later shaped mainstream lithium-ion technology. Following the receivership, a consortium of Japanese technology companies acquired the business in a transaction involving the British Columbia government. The deal was criticized because observers considered the purchase price, reported as C$5 million, low relative to the value attributed to Moli Energy’s patents. The company was renamed Nippon Moli Energy Corp. in 1994 and NEC Moli Energy Corp. in 1997. In 1998, NEC Moli Energy merged with Taiwanese E-One Technology, forming E-One Moli Energy Corp. The resulting company developed and sold lithium-ion cells under the Molicel brand. Its initial focus included high-capacity cells for notebook computers, high-end electronics, and networking and communications equipment. The brand’s role gradually expanded as lithium-ion batteries became more important in portable electronics and cordless equipment. A significant diversification effort began in 2004, when Molicel partnered with Milwaukee Electric Tool to develop a high-energy cell for cordless power tools. The first power-tool model associated with that work was introduced in 2005. Molicel also supplied batteries to Ford for electric vehicles and, in 2008, became the first qualified battery supplier for the BMW MINI E program. These relationships placed the company in more demanding applications requiring a combination of energy density, power delivery, durability, and safety. E-One Moli retained a Canadian operating presence through E-One Moli Energy (Canada) Limited, including a facility in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. The company’s manufacturing and commercial activities otherwise remained closely associated with Taiwan, where E-One Moli Energy is based and where Molicel production has been carried out. On November 16, 2023, E-One Moli announced plans to invest C$796 million in a new Western Canadian plant for lithium-cell production. The proposed project was expected to create approximately 450 high-skilled jobs, with battery production projected to begin in 2028. On November 22, 2024, the project was suspended, leaving its previously announced construction and production plans unrealized. On July 14, 2025, a fire occurred at a Molicel manufacturing plant in Kaohsiung. The fire reportedly began in a warehouse containing semi-complete batteries and injured 12 workers and three firefighters. Reported estimated damage was approximately NT$5 billion. The incident added a recent industrial-safety event to a corporate history already marked by the battery-safety problems of the former Moli Energy business. Today, Molicel is best understood as a specialized lithium-ion battery-cell brand operating through E-One Moli Energy Corp. Its business spans consumer and communications electronics, cordless power tools, electric vehicles, and other high-performance applications. The company’s evolution reflects the internationalization of battery manufacturing: Canadian research and early commercialization, Japanese ownership and corporate restructuring, and Taiwanese control and production under the E-One Moli organization.
- 2025
Kaohsiung manufacturing-plant fire
[1]A fire at a Molicel plant in Kaohsiung injured workers and firefighters and caused substantial reported damage.
- 2024
Western Canadian plant project suspended
[1]The planned Western Canadian manufacturing project was suspended on November 22, 2024.
- 2023
Western Canadian plant investment announced
[1]E-One Moli announced a planned C$796 million lithium-cell manufacturing plant in Western Canada, with approximately 450 skilled jobs projected.
- 2008
Qualified supplier for BMW MINI E
[1]Molicel became the first qualified battery supplier for the BMW MINI E electric-car program.
- 2005
First power-tool model from the partnership
[1]The first power-tool model associated with the Molicel–Milwaukee development work was introduced.
- 2004
Power-tool battery development partnership
[1]Molicel partnered with Milwaukee Electric Tool to develop a high-energy cell for cordless power tools.
- 1998
E-One Moli Energy Corp. is formed
[1]NEC Moli Energy merged with Taiwanese E-One Technology, creating E-One Moli Energy Corp. and establishing the modern Molicel corporate structure.
- 1997
The company becomes NEC Moli Energy
[1]The business was renamed NEC Moli Energy Corp.
- 1994
The company becomes Nippon Moli Energy
[1]Following acquisition by Japanese technology companies, the business adopted the Nippon Moli Energy name.
- 1989
Battery safety failure leads to recalls and receivership
[1]A mobile-phone battery produced by Moli Energy caught fire, contributing to halted sales, extensive recalls, and the company’s entry into receivership.
Products and positioning
A specialist lithium-ion cell supplier emphasizing high power, high energy density, and application-specific battery development for demanding electronics, power-tool, automotive, and industrial customers.
Rechargeable battery cells · 1998
Molicel lithium-ion cells
Molicel’s core offering is a range of rechargeable lithium-ion cells designed for applications requiring combinations of energy capacity, power output, cycle life, and compact form factors. The brand’s historical customer base has included notebook-computer, high-end-electronics, and networking-equipment manufacturers. Its cells are supplied primarily through business-to-business relationships rather than as consumer-facing standalone products.
Cordless power-tool batteries · 2005
Molicel power-tool battery cells
Developed in cooperation with Milwaukee Electric Tool beginning in 2004, these high-energy cells were intended for cordless power tools. The application required strong discharge performance in a portable package and represented Molicel’s expansion from electronics into professional and industrial equipment.
Electric-vehicle batteries · 2008
Molicel automotive battery cells
Molicel has supplied battery cells for electric-vehicle programs, including Ford applications and BMW’s MINI E program. These products are automotive components rather than retail products and are intended to meet the demanding requirements of vehicle propulsion, including power delivery, reliability, and qualification standards.
Manufacturing expansion
Western Canadian lithium-cell manufacturing project
The proposed Western Canadian facility was intended to manufacture lithium cells and expand Molicel’s production footprint in Canada. The project was announced in 2023 with planned investment of C$796 million and anticipated production in 2028, but it was suspended in 2024 and therefore is not an operating product line.
Controversies
1989
Moli Energy mobile-phone battery fire and recalls
A battery made by the predecessor Moli Energy caught fire in a mobile phone. Sales were halted and tens of thousands of phones were recalled. The failure contributed to Moli Energy entering receivership and helped accelerate industry movement toward safer rechargeable-lithium battery materials.
Brand decisions
2023
Announce Western Canadian manufacturing expansionStrategyBackground
E-One Moli announced a plan to expand lithium-cell manufacturing capacity in Western Canada and create a local skilled-workforce base.
Action taken
The company announced a planned C$796 million manufacturing plant, with approximately 450 high-skilled jobs and projected battery production beginning in 2028.
Aftermath
The project was suspended on November 22, 2024, before the announced production start.
Announced planned investment. C$796 million (2023 announcement)
2004
Enter the cordless power-tool battery marketStrategyBackground
Molicel sought to extend its lithium-cell business beyond notebook computers, electronics, and communications equipment into high-demand portable equipment.
Action taken
The company partnered with Milwaukee Electric Tool to develop a high-energy cell for cordless power tools.
Aftermath
The first associated power-tool model appeared in 2005, establishing a larger industrial application for the brand.
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