South Korean cathode materials company EcoPro BM has secured a 5-year, $33.4B (43,867,615,524,480 KRW) contract to supply high-nickel NCA cathode material to Samsung SDI. The contract runs from 1 January 2024 through 31 December 2028. After the arrival of the contract period, the sales unit price to be applied to... Read more →

Rio Tinto has approved a new 12.4MW solar farm and 8.8MVa/2.1MWh of battery storage to provide renewable energy for the Amrun bauxite operations near Weipa in Queensland, Australia. The 12.4MW solar farm and battery storage are part of Rio Tinto’s global decarbonization strategy and ongoing efforts to reduce emissions at... Read more →

China is rich in rare earth elements and has dominated global rare earth mining and production since the 1990s. Its neighbor, Myanmar, is also a country rich in rare earth elements. In 2012, China’s Central Government implemented a strategy to shift away from mining and to focus instead on the... Read more →

Fraunhofer researchers, TS ELINO GmbH and Salzgitter AG are working on converting an existing steel mill to climate-neutral production methods. The aim is to produce steel by the direct reduction of iron ore with hydrogen, which would completely replace coke as a reducing agent. The hydrogen required for this method... Read more →

NETZSCH Pumps USA will showcase its complex fluid pumping solutions for lithium battery manufacturing at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference (AABC), to be held later this month in San Diego. Both the NEMO Progressing Cavity pumps and PERIPRO Peristaltic pumps have the ability to transfer complex slurry fluids and provide... Read more →

The Riverside, California City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday (11/28) to finalize an agreement with the all-electric autonomous shuttle company Ohmio to move its international headquarters from New Zealand to Riverside and manufacture the vehicles there. The company is touring multiple potential sites in Riverside for its facility. Ohmio also... Read more →

IBM and FuelCell Energy, Inc. will work together to boost the performance of FuelCell Energy’s technology using Foundation Models, a form of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). The aim of this collaboration is to support both companies’ efforts to lead a global transition to renewable energy sources that emit little to... Read more →

MIT researchers and colleagues have demonstrated a way to control precisely the size, composition, and other properties of nanoparticles key to the reactions involved in a variety of clean energy and environmental technologies. They did so by leveraging ion irradiation, a technique in which beams of charged particles bombard a... Read more →

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will loan Iveco Group N.V. up to €500 million to contribute to the electrification, efficiency and safety of the transport sector through investments in research, development and innovation. A loan of €450 million represents the first tranche of the €500 million total approved by the... Read more →

Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung reported that Scout Motors has awarded Magna a contract worth €450 million to develop an electric SUV and pickup truck. The report said development work at Magna in Graz and the US was underway to prepare for series production by late 2026. In March 2023, Scout... Read more →

Volkswagen (Anhui) Components Co., Ltd. (VWAC), Volkswagen Group’s first 100%-owned battery system plant in China, began production of its first high-voltage battery system. VWAC is the first battery system plant wholly invested by Volkswagen Automatic Transmission (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. With an initial annual capacity of 150,000 to 180,000 high-voltage battery... Read more →

Series production of the Renault Trucks has begun series production of the heavy-duty electric E-Tech T and C trucks at the Bourg-en-Bresse plant. The site has been assembling the brand’s trucks for 60 years. Dedicated to regional distribution and urban construction, these vehicles are the latest addition to the manufacturer’s... Read more →

Nissan has confirmed that all three models made at its UK plant will go 100% electric. The announcement means the EV36Zero hub in Sunderland, Nissan's blueprint for future manufacturing, will consist of three electric vehicles (EVs), three gigafactories and up to £3 billion investment. The transformational project includes future all-electric... Read more →

Hydro, the Norwegian aluminum and renewable energy company, and a world leader in the production of recycled and low-carbon aluminum, recently celebrated the official opening of its recycling plant in Cassopolis, Michigan, just 18 months after breaking ground at the site.. Hydro expects to produce 265 million pounds (120,000 metric... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group and Motional announced that Hyundai and Motional’s jointly developed all-electric IONIQ 5 robotaxi will be manufactured at the newly opened Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS). (Earlier post.) The first production-ready IONIQ 5 robotaxis will be deployed as part of Motional’s commercial services in the US,... Read more →

AMADA WELD TECH is highlighting its Jupiter Laser Welding System, a semi-automatic production system for welding battery modules for use in electric vehicles, power tools, energy storage and military battery module applications. The Jupiter is suited for battery modules measuring up to 300 x 300 x 300 millimetres, with typical... Read more →

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3.5 billion from the Infrastructure Law to boost domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials nationwide. (DE-FOA-0003099) The high-capacity battery supply chain consists of five main steps including: (1) raw material production; (2) materials processing including material refinement and processing;... Read more →

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and Redwood Materials announced an expanded recycling agreement that aims to create pathways for automotive batteries used in Toyota’s electrified vehicles that have reached the end of their life. The plan also includes an agreement for Toyota to source Cathode Active Material (CAM) and Anode... Read more →

Vitesco Technologies has opened a new, 2,800 m2 manufacturing space at its Icheon electronics site for its EMR4 (Electronics Motor Reducer) electric axle drive. The first parts from the new line will serve to confirm the original sample products’ robustness by testing series parts. This phase will last for around... Read more →

Polestar has started production of the Polestar 4 electric SUV coupé (earlier post), with first deliveries to customers in China expected before the end of 2023. Official launch in all other Polestar markets is planned for early 2024, with customer deliveries in these markets expected within the same year. The... Read more →

Li-Metal Corp., a developer of lithium metal anode and lithium metal production technologies for next-generation batteries, announced the successful production of its first batch of ultra-thin lithium on metalized polymer anodes, a second-generation lithium metal anode technology. At Li-Metal’s advanced anode pilot plant in Rochester, New York, the company has... Read more →

BMW i Ventures has invested in the German software company Ascon Systems, which is enabling the transformation to the industrial metaverse with digital twins and low-code software solutions. With this commitment, BMW i Ventures is supporting the next stage of digital production, the potential for the industrial metaverse, and digital... Read more →

Forge Nano, Inc., a materials science company that enables peak performance products through atomic-level surface engineering (earlier post), plans to launch a lithium-ion battery manufacturing business called Forge Battery. The newly formed company intends to produce high-energy and high-power lithium-ion battery cells for defense, aerospace and specialty electric vehicle markets... Read more →

Nedstack, a Dutch developer and manufacturer of PEM Fuel cell power solutions for high power and safety-relevant applications, and thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering, a recognized pioneer in automation solutions, have solidified their partnership through the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the supply of a semi-automated PEM Fuel Cell... Read more →

Group14, a global manufacturer and supplier of advanced silicon battery technology, announced the commencement of Phase I of its European manufacturing roadmap by beginning preparations to restart operations at its newly acquired silane factory in Spreetal, Germany. (Earlier post.) Idled since 2016, the silane factory will manufacture a necessary precursor... Read more →

Euro Manganese announced the successful production of high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate (HPMSM) from the dissolution and crystallization module at the Chvaletice Demonstration Plant (DP) in the Czech Republic. (Earlier post.) Two independent external laboratories have confirmed samples sent for testing have met the Demonstration Plant target specifications for HPMSM with... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new electric vehicle (EV) plant at its complex in Ulsan. The new EV-dedicated plant will be the hub for Hyundai Motor’s mobility production in the era of electrification. The EV-dedicated facility will be Hyundai Motor’s first new plant in Korea in... Read more →

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) recently started production of the all-new Toyota C-HR (earlier post), including its first European battery assembly, at its plant in Sakarya, Turkey. With a new investment of €308 million injected into its manufacturing facilities, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey (TMMT) is Toyota’s first European plant to produce... Read more →

The start of MINI Countryman production marks a number of firsts and milestones for BMW Group Plant Leipzig: for the first time, a MINI model is being made in Germany—on the same production line as the BMW 1 Series and 2 Series. It’s all made possible by the plant’s flexible... Read more →

Proterra Inc. and Proterra Operating Company Inc. are in a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy process in the US. (Earlier post.) Volvo Group has been selected as the winning bidder in an auction for the business and assets of the Proterra Powered business unit at a purchase price of US$210 million.... Read more →

After launching its own hybrid range in 2024, Renault Korea Motors (RKM) announced the next step in enlarging its role as hub for exports while reaching an agreement with Polestar. Polestar 4, a pure electric vehicle, will be manufactured in Busan plant by second half of 2025. The agreement—reached between... Read more →

Canada-based Li-Metal Corp., a developer of lithium metal anode and lithium metal production technologies, announced the successful production and shipment of its first batch of lithium metal ingots. The lithium metal ingots were produced at Li-Metal’s recently commissioned lithium metal reprocessing and casting facility in Markham, Ontario, which has the... Read more →

Audi is beginning production of electric motors for the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) in its plant in Győr, Hungary. The newly developed electric motors will be used for the first time in the Audi Q6 e-tron series. Production of the fully electric Audi model is scheduled to start at the... Read more →

Solid Power, a developer of solid-state battery technology, has shipped its first A-sample cells to enter automotive qualification. It is a reflection of our team’s strong execution that we produced and delivered our first A Sample EV cells for BMW a little over a week ago, marking a major milestone... Read more →

Lithos Energy, a manufacturer of high-performance lithium-ion battery systems engineered for demanding environments, has opened a manufacturing and pilot line facility in Hayward, California for its latest generation of battery systems. The 65,000 square foot engineering facility will feature enhanced pack assembly automation and will manufacture, at scale, Lithos’ high-performance... Read more →

Announcements of private sector investments in US-made battery technologies have been increasing over the last few years, with 208 as of September 2023, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). There have also been 27 Federal investment announcements. The map below shows locations of new announcements of minerals extraction... Read more →

Orbia’s Fluorinated Solutions business and Solvay have signed their joint venture agreement to create the largest polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) production facilities for battery materials in the North America region. This partnership brings security of supply with Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) compliant materials and leading-edge PVDF technology together for solutions that... Read more →

Australia-based NOVONIX Limited announced that its NOVONIX Anode Materials division finalized a US$100-million award from the US Department of Energy (DOE) (earlier post) to expand domestic production of high-performance, synthetic graphite anode materials at its Riverside facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On 20 October 2022, NOVONIX announced its selection to enter... Read more →

ArcelorMittal Tubarão and EDP, a company that operates in all segments of the Brazilian electricity sector, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of a pilot plant for the production and use of green hydrogen in the steel manufacturing process. The initiative is part... Read more →

Ionic Mineral Technologies, a US-based producer of advanced nano-silicon battery anode technology, announced the opening of its new production facility, technical center and flagship headquarters located in Provo, Utah. This facility represents Utah’s premier enterprise-scale production facility dedicated to the development of nano-silicon battery anodes for electric vehicles (EVs) and... Read more →

Through the first two months of Q3 2023, Chinese OEMs made up a record 37% of the nation’s EV exports to Europe (by GWh deployed), up from 22% in Q1 of this year, 8% in Q1 of last year, and just 6% in Q1 2021, according to data from Adamas... Read more →

Munro Vehicles, a manufacturer of all-electric 4x4s and Scotland’s only volume car company, has completed its first pre-production model. The white Series-M Utility, a hard top five-seater 4x4, leaves the factory in East Kilbride just ten months after Munro unveiled the MK_1 prototype model in Edinburgh in December 2022. The... Read more →

Polestar has published the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Polestar 4. The LCA ahows that Polestar 4 has the lowest carbon footprint of all Polestar cars to date—as low as 19.4 tons of CO2e at launch. Polestar 4 is produced in Geely Holdings’ SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China,... Read more →

Asahi Kasei will invest ¥40 billion (US$365 million) in additional equipment for coating Hipore lithium-ion battery (LIB) separators. New coating lines will be installed at existing Asahi Kasei LIB separator facilities in the United States, Japan, and South Korea, with start-up scheduled in succession from the first half of fiscal... Read more →

Toyota announced a new investment of nearly $8 billion that will add approximately 3,000 jobs at Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC). (earlier post) This brings total investment to approximately $13.9 billion and job creation to more than 5,000, further supporting Toyota’s multi-pathway approach to global vehicle electrification. This investment... Read more →

Porsche AG and the Swedish energy start-up H2 Green Steel have signed an agreement for the supply of CO₂-reduced steel: The aim is to further improve the emissions balance of Porsche vehicles by using CO₂-reduced steel. H2 Green Steel plans to produce steel using renewable energy in Boden, Sweden, starting... Read more →

SSAB has entered an agreement with Spain-based Gestamp, a global tier-one automotive supplier of lightweight and safety components, to deliver fossil-free steel for body-in-white and chassis system products. Gestamp is a multinational company specialized in the design, development and manufacture of highly engineered metal components for the main vehicle manufacturers.... Read more →

Fluor Corporation announced that its Advanced Technologies & Life Sciences business line has been selected by Altris AB to provide front-end engineering and design (FEED) services for the first industrial-scale sodium-ion battery production facility in Sandviken, Sweden. The new facility will have the annual capacity to produce 2000 metric tonnes... Read more →

Traditionally, the synthesis of layered lithium cobalt oxide cathode materials for Li-ion batteries requires temperatures above 800 °C and takes 10 to 20 hours to complete. Now a team of researchers at Hokkaido University and Kobe University, led by Professor Masaki Matsui at Hokkaido University’s Faculty of Science, have developed... Read more →

Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM), India’s leading battery materials company, plans to build a $650-million graphite anode manufacturing facility in Brunswick County of North Carolina. The facility is the first Indian investment in the US electric vehicle (EV) battery industry. The company plans to break ground in 2024 and begin manufacturing... Read more →