South 8 Technologies (South 8), a lithium-ion battery innovator, announced Porsche Ventures, the venture capital arm of Porsche AG, as its newest strategic investor, joining existing investors Anzu Partners, LG Technology Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Taiyo Nippon Sanso and Foothill Ventures.

Global lithium-ion battery demand for EVs and stationary energy storage is projected to grow 6x in 12 years: from 950 GWh in 2023 to more than 5,800 GWh in 2035 according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Only 4% of the utilized lithium-ion production capacity is based in the United States.

South 8 is developing an electrolyte solution that directly addresses common pain points of conventional lithium-ion batteries by enhancing range and performance in extreme environments. South 8 developed LiGas, a liquefied gas electrolyte that improves the energy performance of lithium-ion batteries for next-generation EVs and other industrial applications.

LiGas is a proprietary blend of non-toxic and non-corrosive gasses. LiGas has achieved world-record temperature performance in low- and high-temperature environments from -60 to +60 °C.

The LiGas electrolyte has a low viscosity and exhibits a high conductivity that enables fast-charge capabilities of high energy cells for electric vehicles.