Century Lithium reported the successful addition of a lithium carbonate stage at its Lithium Extraction Facility (Pilot Plant) in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, which is part of the company’s 100%-owned Angel Island Mine. Prior to this addition, concentrated lithium solutions from the Pilot Plant were treated by Saltworks Inc. at its... Read more →

A team of researchers from Hydro-Québec’s Center of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage has used plasma vapor deposition (PVD) to deposit a think LixSny alloy layer of the surface of a lithium foil. The layer has a much higher hardness than bare Li and can withstand aggressive cycling... Read more →

Wright Electric has been awarded a contract from the US Air Force to develop high power output rechargeable batteries. Wright Electric was founded in 2016 to build electric airplanes with the goal of reducing the climate impact of the aerospace industry. The company is developing ultra-lightweight motors and batteries for... Read more →

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Vehicle Technologies Office estimates the cost of a electric vehicle lithium-ion battery pack for a light-duty vehicle declined 90% between 2008 and 2023 (using 2023 constant dollars). The 2023 estimate is $139/kWh on a usable-energy basis for production at scale of at least 100,000 units... Read more →

Researchers at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with collaborators from leading international institutions, have introduced an innovative cathode homogenization strategy for all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASLBs). This new approach, detailed in apaper in Nature Energy, significantly improves the cycle life... Read more →

AutoFlight and leading battery developer CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited) announced an exclusive strategic investment and cooperation agreement, valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, bringing together pioneers in eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) and battery technology in a unique partnership. CATL’s exclusive strategic investment in AutoFlight... Read more →

ION Storage Systems (ION), a Maryland-based manufacturer of safe, high energy density, fast charging solid-state batteries (SSB), announced a major milestone on the path to commercialization by achieving 800 cycles in its SSB cells. ION’s cell cycles without compression or volume change, traditionally a major impediment to SSB adoption. This... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the availability of up to $63 million to enable state and local governments to expand battery recycling and modernize American manufacturing by making technologies such as advanced sensors and modeling more accessible to small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs). (DE-FOA-0003376) Collecting spent batteries... Read more →

Forge Battery, the commercial lithium-ion battery production subsidiary of Forge Nano, Inc., has begun shipping the company’s prototype high-energy 21700 cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells to existing customers and potential partners. Forge Battery’s “Gen. 1.1 Supercell”, the company’s first commercial product, has received both UN 38.3 and UL 1642 certifications verifying... Read more →

The BMW Group is expanding its production network for the next generation of high-voltage batteries significantly, with five facilities on three continents to produce sixth-generation high-voltage batteries. Across the globe, the principle of “local for local” will apply. This helps the BMW Group increase the resilience of its production. The... Read more →

Ceylon Graphite has entered into a purchase and distribution agreement with GES Europe GmbH (GES), specialist in the manufacture, trade, and processing of synthetic and natural graphite Ceylon’s graphite has uniquely high natural carbon characteristics that exceed those of any other natural graphite suppliers we have seen. The extremely high... Read more →

Researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China have developed a new ionic liquid-based electrolyte (ILE) that exhibits high conductivity that is twice that of pure ILE and also constructs a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) for electrochemical stability. A paper on their work is published in Journal of Power Sources.... Read more →

C-BATT, a joint venture between X-BATT and CONSOL Innovations, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CONSOL Energy Inc., has launched the next phase of its effort to accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation battery anode materials. C-BATT is combining X-BATT’s battery technology with CONSOL Innovations' domestically sourced carbon resources to bring... Read more →

German battery developer CustomCells and Group14 Technologies, the largest global manufacturer and supplier of advanced silicon battery material, signed a multi-year supply agreement, enabling CustomCells to procure SCC55, Group14’s advanced silicon battery material. SCC55 is a stable silicon-carbon composite anode with five times the capacity of graphite (current anode materials)... Read more →

TaiSan, a UK company developing quasi-solid-state sodium batteries for the automotive industry, announced the raise of £1.3 battery electric vehicle (BEV) technology. Led by EIT InnoEnergy and TSP Ventures and followed by Heartfelt VC and Exergon, TaiSan’s pre-seed round is backed by Europe’s leading strategic e-mobility funds. Co-funded by the... Read more →

As part of a product update, Webasto is increasing the energy content of its traction batteries from 35 to 40 kilowatt hours (kWh). The standardized product design of the new Standard Battery Pro 40 gives existing and new customers planning security for the coming years and facilitates multi-year electrification projects.... Read more →

Leclanché SA signed a framework agreement with Pinnacle International Capital which will see the company secure expansion funding, subject to the completion of due diligence. This signed Framework Agreement builds on the binding terms already agreed to define a joint venture structure that will cement this partnership and fund the... Read more →

Constellium signed a long-term agreement with Lotte Infracell, a subsidary of Lotte Aluminium, a leading provider of aluminum solutions, to supply foilstock for Lotte’s battery foil applications in Europe. This partnership highlights Constellium’s commitment to the growing electric vehicle (EV) market and its strategic focus on advanced automotive aluminum solutions.... Read more →

The EU and the Republic of Serbia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) launching a strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials, battery value chains and electric vehicles. The partnership builds on the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) entered into force on 1 September 2013 and is in line with EU’s... Read more →

Around a year after the topping-out ceremony, Daimler Truck officially opened the Battery Technology Center (BTC) at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Mannheim. Daimler Truck’s product and process development for battery electric commercial vehicles is carried out on an area of over 10,000 square meters: the BTC combines development with production.... Read more →

Canada recently added an additional three minerals—high-purity iron, phosphorous and silicon metal—to its Critical Minerals List, bringing the total to 34. Canada released its first Critical Minerals List in March 2021 with a commitment to review the minerals identified as critical every three years. The list guides federal policy and... Read more →

Metal batteries have the potential to deliver more energy, at a lower weight, than the popular lithium-ion battery. The problem, however, is that the technology currently has too short a lifespan due to the highly reactive nature of the lithium metal within these batteries. New research from Chalmers University of... Read more →

Cumulative battery and EV supply chain investment in North America grew to more than $250 billion by the end of 2023, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). Investment in battery and EV supply chains increased rapidly after the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) on 15 November... Read more →

Eramet recently inaugurated the Centenario Phase 1 lithium carbonate production plant in Argentina. This flagship is operated by Eramine, a joint venture owned by Eramet (50.1%) and its partner Tsingshan (49.9%). The plant is designed to extract lithium from the salar brine and process it into battery-grade lithium carbonate. The... Read more →

Europe is the slowest region of growth for electric vehicle (EV) sales so far this year, according to research house Rho Motion in its half yearly update. Just under seven million electric vehicles have been sold globally in the passenger car and light-duty vehicle market in the first half of... Read more →

Volkswagen Group’s battery company PowerCo and QuantumScape have entered into an agreement to industrialize QuantumScape’s next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology. Upon satisfactory technical progress and certain royalty payments, QuantumScape will grant PowerCo the license to mass produce battery cells based on QuantumScape’s technology platform. Under the non-exclusive license, PowerCo can... Read more →

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) has named Dr. Rana Mohtadi, a senior principal scientist at the Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA), a Fellow in its Class of 2024. Mohtadi is the first female from an automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to receive this prestigious honor. This is the second... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) announced a conditional commitment of up to $1.2 billion for a direct loan to ENTEK Lithium Separators LLC (ENTEK). If finalized, the loan will substantially finance a new facility in Terre Haute, Indiana to manufacture lithium-ion battery separators. The separators will be... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $14 million to increase consumer battery recycling and create a more sustainable domestic battery supply chain. Supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed by DOE’s Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains Office (MESC), the selected projects will provide more than 1,000 collection points... Read more →

Sakuu, a provider of commercial-scale equipment and technologies to the battery manufacturing industry, announced a joint development agreement (JDA) with global manufacturer SK On, one of the world’s leading suppliers of EV batteries. Following Sakuu’s announcement of early access to its dry process Kavian platform in December 2023, SK On,... Read more →

An open-access published in Nature Communications reports that the use of a novel sub-class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in lithium-ion batteries is a growing source of pollution in air and water. Testing by the research team further found these PFAS, called bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides (bis-FASIs), demonstrate environmental persistence and... Read more →

Altilium, a UK-based clean technology group focused on supporting the transition to net zero, and Connected Energy, a developer of second-life battery energy storage systems, announced a new strategic relationship that will see the two companies working together to extend the lifecycle of EV batteries. Connected Energy designs and develops... Read more →

Pilbara Minerals recently released the outcomes of a pre-feasibility study (PFS) which determined that production capacity at the company’s 100% owned Pilgangoora Operation could be expanded to more than 2.0 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa). The Pilgangoora ore body is one of the largest hard-rock lithium deposits in the world... Read more →

MOL Group, a leading player in the energy sector in Central and Eastern Europe, has created a “Low Carbon and New Energies” branch within its Exploration and Production division. This new organization is based in Zagreb and marks a step forward in MOL Group’s commitment to deliver low carbon solutions... Read more →

A team of researchers in China has used a high lithiophilic Mg-Li-Cu alloy to stabilize a Li metal anode. Due to the delocalization of electrons on the deposited lithium enhanced by Cu self-diffusion into Mg-Li alloy, the growth of lithium dendrites can be inhibited by the Mg-Li-Cu alloy. Moreover, the... Read more →

Norway-based Hydrovolt—the 50/50 joint venture between the Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt and the Norwegian energy and aluminum company Hydro—has taken its final investment decision on expanding its business to France through establishing recycling capacity located in Hordain in the heart of Northern France’s battery valley. Hydrovolt is already running one... Read more →

Amplify Cell Technologies—a joint venture between Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions business unit of Cummins; Daimler Trucks & Buses; and PACCAR (earlier post)—recently broke ground at its new battery cell manufacturing plant in Marshall County, Mississippi. The 500-acre site will be home to a two million-square-foot, energy efficient facility with... Read more →

Hycamite, a producer of hydrogen and carbon via the thermo-catalytic decomposition (TCD) of methane, has launched graphite production with a very low carbon footprint. Hycamite’s novel methane-splitting technology delivers low-carbon hydrogen and high-quality carbon products on an industrial scale. With advances in proprietary catalysts and process technology, Hycamite can now... Read more →

Stellantis and France’s research institution CEA announced a new, five-year collaboration that targets in-house design of next-generation battery cells for electric vehicles. This joint research program includes designing advanced technology cells with higher performance, a longer lifespan and a lower carbon footprint at competitive costs, which can lead to more... Read more →

Ilika, a developer of solid-state battery technology (earlier post), has shipped its first batch of prototype Goliath batteries for customer testing by a tier 1 automotive company. In May 2024, Ilika announced it had commenced in-house testing of its P1 Goliath prototype batteries, in a customer-sponsored program and the first... Read more →

Ampere, the European intelligent EV pure player born from the Renault group, announced a battery plan integrating LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) technology alongside the NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese) batteries currently used by Renault Group. Ampere is working with its suppliers LG Energy Solution and CATL to set up an integrated... Read more →

Canada-based Rock Tech Lithium received a binding letter of intent (LOI) signed by the Minister for Economic Affairs in Brandenburg, Joerg Steinbach, for the grant of up to €90 million in subsidies for the Guben Project. In addition, the company announced that its application for federal funding from the German... Read more →

Nyobolt, the developer of ultra-fast charging niobium-based battery technology (earlier post) revealed the first running Nyobolt EV prototype. (Earlier post.) Designed and engineered with CALLUM, the Nyobolt EV will be used to both validate the company’s battery performance in a high-performance environment, as well as allow car makers to witness... Read more →

Group14 Technologies, Inc., the world’s largest global manufacturer, and supplier of advanced silicon battery materials, has signed five multi-year binding offtake agreements amounting to a minimum commitment of more than $300 million with three leading electric vehicle (EV) and two consumer electronic (CE) cell manufacturers across Europe, Asia, and North... Read more →

Sila, a next-generation battery materials company, has raised $375 million in a close of its Series G round led by existing investors Sutter Hill Ventures and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., with participation by new outside investors as well as existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners,... Read more →

JordProxa and Zelandez will partner to speed up the supply of lithium from lithium brine mining companies in North and South America. The collaboration links a leading lithium brinefield technology provider with a respected name in modular plant design. The pair will primarily focus on supporting the deployment of Zelandez’s... Read more →

With the installation of the first approximately twelve-meter-high concrete support, the BMW Group has officially started the construction of the future production site for high-voltage batteries in Lower Bavaria. In total, around 1,000 supports will be set up on a floor area of 300 by 500 meters in the coming... Read more →

Fluor Corporation announced that its Advanced Technologies & Life Sciences business has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services contract for Phase One of Northvolt’s large-scale lithium-ion battery factory in Heide, Germany. Fluor will recognize its undisclosed portion of the total $4.8 billion (€4.5 billion) project in... Read more →