That's quite insightful. I know next to nothing about that industry and/or battery (modern) tech. I know people have always said Saft was a reputable battery company (around motorised speciality vehicles/grip for film industry). I have no idea why, considering what you've just said.
Its likely Saft optimizes for rough environments rather than energy density. Things like stronger casings, more insulation between anode/cathode, wider temperature ranges are more useful to some applications than energy density.
I've primarily seen them used for industrial/military applications.
