Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, will upgrade its Spring Hill, Tennessee battery cell manufacturing facility to scale production of low-cost lithium iron phosphate battery cells, building on a $2.3-billion investment announced in 2021. Conversion of battery cell lines at Spring Hill to... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that Volkswagen will close a Chinese vehicle assembly plant operated jointly with state-owned SAIC Motor in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, as the German automaker tries reversing a slide by restructuring in the market that accounts for roughly 30% of its deliveries. The Nanjing plant opened in 2008 and... Read more →

Korea-based SK On is set to accelerate its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery business targeting North America’s energy storage system (ESS) market as it moves to establish a reliable supply chain to advance its latest venture. SK On announced signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with L&F on the supply... Read more →

Tata Steel UK announced a major new research initiative—ADAPT-EAF (Accelerating the Development of Automotive and Packaging steel Technology for Electric Arc Furnace production)—aimed at developing a new generation of advanced steel products from its EAF, set to transform the future of automotive and packaging applications. As the UK steel industry... Read more →

Australia’s ambition to lead the world in green metals production has taken a significant step forward with the Green Metals Innovation Network (GMIN)—a $10-million initiative funded by the Australian Government to strengthen industry-research collaboration. Led by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, in partnership with the Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative... Read more →

The European Commission announced that six electric vehicle (EV) battery cell manufacturing projects will receive a total of €852 million in grants from the Innovation Fund, using revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). These grants follow a first Battery Call under the Fund, launched in December 2024,... Read more →

After around two years of construction and assembly work, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe has implemented major strategic investments at the Duisburg location. With the core facilities now completed, Germany’s largest steelmaker has modernized and optimized its production network at key interfaces. The new linked plant components are a rejuvenation treatment for... Read more →

Cleveland-Cliffs recently comissioned its new Vertical Stainless Bright Anneal Line at its Coshocton Works facility in Coshocton, Ohio. This $150-million capital investment has been completed and will supply premium stainless steel for high-end automotive and critical appliance applications. The new annealing line uses a 100% hydrogen atmosphere, replacing the conventional... Read more →

Germany-based Wevo has introduced WEVOSIL 22106 FL, 22102 FL and 22105 FL—three new potting compounds from Wevo which offer excellent protection against mechanical stresses due to their supersoft consistency. These three materials also enable efficient thermal management and are optimized for reliable potting. They provide solutions for use in numerous... Read more →

Paint supplier PPG and steel producer ArcelorMittal announced a major step forward in reducing the carbon footprint of automotive manufacturing. The collaboration combines advanced steelmaking technologies with next-generation electrocoat solutions. The results were presented last week at the SURCAR automotive painting conference in Cannes, France. The study revealed that greenhouse... Read more →

Honda Motor is changing the previously announced plan to begin operation of a plant in Moka City, Tochigi, Japan, dedicated to production of the next-generation fuel cell module. The original plan was to utilize part of the land and buildings of a former Honda Powertrain Unit Factory in Moka City,... Read more →

Sionic Energy announced commercial availability of its Rapid Integration Silicon Platform. Built on standard Li-ion manufacturing lines, and verified by independent labs and global automotive companies, the drop-in technology delivers 370 Wh/kg, <10-minute charge capability, and more than 1,000 cycles with operating temperatures from -30 °C to 45 °C. Packaged... Read more →

Japan-based Zeon Corporation has constructed a new research facility on the premises of Zeon Chemicals Yonezawa to develop production processes for plant‐derived raw materials. This facility will accelerate the development of biotechnology to produce butadiene and isoprene directly, which are key components of synthetic rubber, from plant‐derived materials, with the... Read more →

QuantumScape Corporation, a developer of solid-state lithium-metal battery technology, announced the successful integration of its advanced Cobra separator process into baseline cell production. Cobra forms the foundation of QS’ high-throughput, continuous-flow separator production platform. Designed to enable faster, more energy-efficient production with a smaller equipment footprint compared to earlier processes,... Read more →

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a $25.5-million investment to support fundamental research and workforce development aimed at enabling future generations of US manufacturing. This year’s awards will support seven research grants and nine seed projects across 36 institutions and companies through the NSF Future Manufacturing (NSF FM) program.... Read more →

Rheinmetall has won a significant order in the hybrid vehicle area from a leading Chinese car manufacturer of new energy vehicles (NEV). The order with a total value in the upper double-digit million euro range includes electronic throttle bodies and delta pressure valves. The order marks another major milestone in... Read more →

MAN has begun series production of MAN electric trucks at the Munich plant. From now on, both electric and diesel trucks will be produced in a fully integrated mixed production process on the same line. The E-Powerpack is assembled in a separate pre-assembly line close to the assembly line. Among... Read more →

Ford has started mass assembly of vehicle drive battery packs for exclusive use in Capri and Explorer at its Cologne plant. Part of a transformative $2-billion investment, the fully digitalised new facility ensures high quality standards, efficiency and a significant reduction in transportation. It also ensures full alignment with vehicle... Read more →

PowerCell Group is deepening its long-term collaboration with Robert Bosch GmbH (Bosch), through a series of initiatives aimed at accelerating the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell systems in mobility applications. Furthermore, both companies are jointly evaluating further possibilities for market entries in stationary applications. The partnership reflects a shared ambition... Read more →

Constellium and TARMAC Aerosave, a specialist in aircraft & engine storage, maintenance, and eco-responsible dismantling, announced the successful recycling and remelting of aluminum from end-of-life aircraft into new, high-performance material suitable for future aerospace applications. This milestone highlights the potential of aluminum to support circular economy goals in aerospace, without... Read more →

BASF announced the successful startup of its new world-scale hexamethylenediamine (HMD) plant in Chalampé, France, construction of which began in 2022. The plant increases BASF’s annual HMD production capacity to 260,000 metric tons. HMD is a precursor used in the production of high-quality PA 6.6 polymers and coatings raw materials.... Read more →

Toyota Indiana celebrated a significant milestone as the 1-millionth hybrid vehicle—a Wind Chill Pearl 2025 Toyota Sienna Platinum—rolled off the line at the Princeton plant. Sienna has been assembled at Toyota Indiana since 2003, with the all-hybrid model being the latest iteration built by the plant’s 7,650 team members. Sienna... Read more →

Micron Technology and the Trump Administration announced Micron’s plans to expand its US investments to approximately $150 billion in domestic memory manufacturing and $50 billion in R&D, creating an estimated 90,000 direct and indirect jobs. As part of the announcement, Micron plans to invest an additional $30 billion beyond prior... Read more →

General Motors plans to invest about $4 billion over the next two years in its domestic manufacturing plants to increase US production of both gas and electric vehicles. The new investment will give GM the ability to assemble more than two million vehicles per year in the US. This announcement... Read more →

BASF, a global leader in the supply of additives to the coatings industry, has completed the transition to bio-based Ethyl Acrylate (EA) for its Rheovis range manufactured at Ludwigshafen and Bradford sites. Now, the Rheovis range has a 14C-traceable biogenic content of up to 35% according to the ASTM D6866-18... Read more →

Magrathea launched its next-generation magnesium chloride electrolyzer, a machine that uses electricity to split magnesium salts to make magnesium metal, at its pilot facility in Oakland, California. This marks a crucial step to advance the technical and data framework for a future scaled plant. Additionally, the project strategically positions Magrathea’s... Read more →

Global cathode active material (CAM) production capacity is set to grow 178% between 2024 and 2030, as assessed by Benchmark. The bulk of this capacity is in China, with the country accounting for 87% of capacity in 2024, falling slightly to 84% by 2030. In China, the predominant cathode chemistry... Read more →

General Motors plans to invest $888 million in its Tonawanda Propulsion plant to support the production of the sixth generation of GM’s V-8 engines, used in full-size trucks and SUVs. This new generation of engines is expected to deliver stronger performance than today’s engines while benefiting fuel economy and reducing... Read more →

thyssenkrupp nucera and Fraunhofer IKTS opened the first SOEC pilot production plant for electrolysis stacks in Arnstadt, Thuringia. With the commissioning of the pilot production plant, the strategic partnership between Fraunhofer IKTS and thyssenkrupp nucera for the development of high-temperature electrolysis (SOEC) is entering the next phase as planned. In... Read more →

Amprius Technologies announced a new contract manufacturing agreement with a leading battery manufacturer in South Korea. This strategic partnership expands Amprius’ global production footprint and enhances its ability to deliver high-performance SiCore cells at scale to meet rising global demand. The South Korean partner brings extensive experience in manufacturing advanced... Read more →

The three-millionth electrified vehicle rolled off the assembly line at the BMW Group’s main plant in Munich: a BMW 330e* Touring in Portimao Blue, destined for the UK market. In 2024, one in four vehicles sold by the company was already either fully electric or a plug-in hybrid. At BMW... Read more →

Although there are interested parties and potential buyers for the various business operations within the Northvolt Group, at present, the bankruptcy estate (earlier post) does not foresee any realistic prospects for a purchaser to assume control of the battery cell production in Skellefteå (Northvolt Ett AB’s operations) in the near... Read more →

China has a major role at each stage of the global battery supply chain and dominates interregional trade of minerals, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). China imported almost 12 million short tons of raw and processed battery minerals, accounting for 44% of interregional trade, and exported almost... Read more →

As part of a larger set of operational changes, Cleveland-Cliffs said that it will no longer be deploying capital toward the development of a transformer production plant in Weirton, West Virginia (earlier post), due to changes in scope from the project partner that no longer meet Cliffs’s investment requirements. Last... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that Nissan Motor’s cancellation of its first electric vehicle battery plant in Japan, along with Toyota Motor’s postponement of a similar project, will damage Japan’s efforts to secure a domestic supply of batteries. Nissan, after signing a partnership agreement with local authorities for the project in January,... Read more →

SunGas Renewables has selected Johnson Matthey (JM) as a technology partner for its flagship Beaver Lake Renewable Energy project — a biomethanol plant planned in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. The plant will be an investment of more than $2 billion, creating more than 1,000 jobs during construction and around 100 permanent... Read more →

The Metallurgical Engineering Trades Apprenticeship & Learning (METAL) program announced a new partnership with Michigan Technological University (MTU) to enhance and scale up industry-driven training opportunities for current and prospective metalworking and manufacturing professionals. Led by IACMI (The Composites Institute) with funding from the Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Analysis... Read more →

Mitsubishi Motors and Foxtron Vehicle Technologies, a subsidiary of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Foxconn) responsible for developing electric vehicles, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to supply Mitsubishi Motors with an electric vehicle (EV) model developed by Foxtron and have decided to proceed with further discussions. The... Read more →

LG Energy Solution has fully acquired General Motor’s stake in a battery cell manufacturing plant in Lansing, Michigan. The US $2.1-billion acquisition of Ultium Cells Lansing facility was aimed at maximizing efficiency and enhancing production capabilities in North America, LG Energy Solution said in a statement. LG Energy Solution will... Read more →

NEXEN TIRE signed a long-term supply agreement with LD Carbon Co., Ltd., a resource circulation and material recycling firm, for recovered carbon black (rCB). NEXEN TIRE will use this collaboration to boost the adoption of sustainable materials. LD Carbon’s recovered carbon black is generated by pyrolyzing end-of-life tires in an... Read more →

Beyonder AS, a battery technology company in Norway and Leclanché SA, a provider of high-quality energy storage solutions, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enter negotiations regarding a collaboration on the development of the manufacturing-process and to allow scale production of Beyonder’s BePowered cell at Leclanche’s premises in Germany.... Read more →

Forge Nano announced the successful close of $40 million in new funding. The funding was co-led by RockCreek, a global investment firm managing more than $15 billion in assets with a strong focus on energy innovation, critical supply chains and advanced manufacturing, and Ascent Funds, a US-based global energy technology... Read more →

Xerion Advanced Battery Corp., a developer and manufacturer of next-generation battery components and critical minerals, announced a new one-step cobalt refinement process, as well as the launch of a pilot-scale production line at its Dayton, Ohio manufacturing facility. Xerion’s proprietary DirectPlate Molten Salt Electrolysis (MSE) technology, originally developed for the... Read more →

The Volvo Cars Ghent, Belgium manufacturing plant has started production of the fully electric EX30 small SUV. The Ghent plant will also start production of the EX30 Cross Country later in the year. Volvo Cars continues to further diversify its global manufacturing footprint for one of its most popular models... Read more →

Amprius Technologies launched its 450 Wh/kg SiCore lithium-ion battery. This is Amprius’ most energy-dense SiCore cell, offering 450 Wh/kg and 950 Wh/L, and is expected to move to mass production in the near term through its global manufacturing partners. Built with Amprius’ proprietary silicon anode material system, this SiCore cell... Read more →

Toyota West Virginia will invest $88 million to assemble the next generation of hybrid transaxles. This brings the total plant investment to more than $2.8 billion and reinforces long-term job security to its more than 2,000 team members. Scheduled to start production in late 2026, the drivetrain component will help... Read more →

QuantumScape Corporation, a developer of next-generation solid-state lithium-metal battery technology, and Murata Manufacturing Co. have entered into the first phase of an agreement to explore a collaboration for high-volume manufacturing of ceramic film for QS’ solid-state battery technology. Murata Manufacturing Co. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and... Read more →

Business Korea reports that South Korean battery manufacturers are reevaluating their global investment strategies, given evolving market conditions and geopolitical factors. Examples cited include: EcoPro BM has suspended construction of its cathode material factory in Québec, Canada, following Ford’s withdrawal from the joint venture in November 2024. The project, initially... Read more →

Rio Tinto and AMG Metals & Materials (AMG M&M), an energy transition solutions provider, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assess jointly the feasibility of developing an integrated low-carbon aluminum project powered by renewable energy in India. AMG M&M is promoted by the two founders of Greenko and... Read more →

Polestar’s fourth Annual Sustainability report announces significant GHG reductions, updates on the Polestar 0 project and a continued quest for increased transparency and more sustainable materials. Since the company started measuring in 2020, Polestar has reduced its carbon footprint per sold car by 24.7%. The most significant contributing factors to... Read more →