EV batteries

Fresh off news of its first expansion outside of China into Germany, CATL is expanding further as part of a new $6 billion dollar battery chain project in Indonesia. Through its subsidiary and an agreement with Indonesia PT AnekaTambang (ANTAM) and PT Industri Baterai Indonesia (IBI), CATL will have a majority stake in five of the six planned battery projects.

As Vietnamese EV automaker VinFast looks to open its order books for US customers, it has gotten more specific on the pricing consumers can expect stateside. During the New York International Auto Show, Vinfast broke down its US pricing for the VF 8 and VF 9, which will include a two-tiered battery subscription that will be mandatory through 2023.

Burlingame, California-based Proterra, which designs and manufactures electric transit buses and electric charging systems, today announced that it has become the first EV maker to achieve multiple TRUE-certified zero waste facilities. That distinction got the stamp of approval from Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI), which independently recognizes excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally.

Battery manufacturing behemoth, CATL, shared news that its upcoming plant in Thuringia, Germany has received 2nd partial approval for cell production. This milestone brings the Chinese company one step closer to opening its first battery manufacturing facility outside of China later this year.

President Joe Biden will today authorize the use of Title III of the Korean War-era Defense Production Act (DPA) to rapidly step up US production of minerals for electric vehicle and storage batteries.

The world’s largest battery manufacturer, is going green… or at least starting to. Earlier today, CATL announced it has built a zero-carbon battery plant in Yibin, Sichuan province of China. While the current details are scarce, we can expect to learn more following a presentation on Friday local time overseas.

LG Energy Solution is investing $1.7 billion and creating 1,200 jobs at its existing EV battery factory in Holland, Michigan. The expansion of the factory will quintuple its capacity to produce EV battery components.

Big-battery manufacturing is ramping up to power EVs, but what will we do with the batteries when they’re dead? There’s a lot of money going into battery recycling companies, but equally important is how those companies actually procure the batteries in order to recycle them. Electrek spoke with Leo Raudys, the CEO of Call2Recycle, about how the Atlanta-based company closes the loop between producers, consumers, and recyclers and makes it easier to get dead e-mobility batteries into recyclers’ hands. 

StoreDot, an Israel-based electric vehicle battery startup, says it will deliver battery cells that will be able to achieve a charge of 100 miles of range in just five minutes. The company says that those battery cells will be ready for mass production in 2024 and that it will be able to manufacture cells that can achieve 100 miles of range in just three minutes by 2028.

President Biden and the US Department of Energy have issued multiple notices of intent to allocate $2.91 billion in support of EV battery manufacturing as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The DOE shared plans to use the funds to further battery materials refining, production plants, and battery cell manufacturing facilities in addition to battery recycling.

Snow Lake Resources Ltd. has outlined plans to develop over 55,000 acres in Manitoba, Canada into the world’s first all-electric lithium mine. By utilizing Manitoba’s hydroelectricity, the entire mining operation can run on 98% renewable energy, helping the company sustainably source lithium – a vital resource to EV batteries – domestically in North America. As Snow Lake Lithium works through the environmental red tape to begin mining, it is seeking an OEM to enter in a joint venture to help process the lithium into EV batteries for North America.

New data from a South Korean research firm shows that EV battery manufacturer CATL is once against the largest in the world by installed battery capacity. The company saw growth over 165% compared to 2020 and holds the title of world’s largest battery manufacturer for the fifth year in a row.

Nissan plans to manufacture its all-new, all-electric successor to the compact Nissan Micra at the Renault ElectriCity center in France, where the retro-styled hatchback will serve to kick off the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance 2030 roadmap, its planned 23 billion Euro investment in EVs, and the group’s push for solid-state batteries.

EV technology company Proterra has announced a large, multi-year agreement with commercial EV manufacturer Vicinity Motor to provide battery systems to hundreds of future commercial vehicles. As part of the supply agreement, a minimum of 600 Vicinity Motor EVs will be powered by Proterra battery systems through 2024, including transit buses and Class 3 to 5 commercial trucks.

The lithium-ion batteries found in most modern EVs and hybrids tend to lose energy capacity as they cycle (get charged, get spent, and get re-charged). That happens because small bits of lithium can be cut off from the battery’s electrodes during the charging process. But, a team of DOE and Stanford scientists say they’ve been able to make this “dead” li-ion reconnect, partially reversing the unwanted loss of energy capacity and extending lithium battery life by 30%.

EV manufacturer Proterra has announced a new battery factory coming to Greer, South Carolina, to keep up with demand for its EV battery systems. The new factory comes with a commitment from Proterra to invest at least $76 million and create over 200 new jobs.

To meet increasing market demand, lithium-ion battery resource recovery specialists Li-Cycle has announced plans to increase the processing capacity of an upcoming New York facility by 40%. In addition to expanding its US battery recycling footprint, Li-Cycle has also entered into a letter of intent with LG to create a closed-loop battery ecosystem.

The Volkswagen Group has announced three separate, yet simultaneous partnerships with companies specializing in battery development. These agreements include materials technology group Umicore, battery specialists 24M Technologies, and lithium producer Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd. Volkswagen looks to utilize these new partnerships to further the development of its own in-house EV battery cells.

EV automaker Arrival has announced plans to build a $11.5 million High Voltage Battery Module (HVBM) assembly plant in Charlotte, North Carolina. The new battery facility will add 150 jobs and join two Arrival facilities already established in the US city.

StoreDot, an Israel-based electric vehicle battery startup, yesterday announced new patented technology that uses a background repair mechanism to allow battery cells to regenerate while they are in use. The company says the new technology will result in longer battery life and better EV performance. 

General Motors announced a joint venture alongside POSCO Chemical to erect a new factory in North America to process Cathode Active Material (CAM). CAM will be vital to GM’s production of its proprietary Ultium EV batteries, as the legacy automaker looks to establish a larger presence in US EV production.