Battery Breaking-News Headlines

The battery industry moves at a fast pace: The articles Battery Technology publishes represent only a fraction of what’s happening in this quickly evolving industry. That’s the idea behind this new curated and regularly updated digest of links to breaking news related to the battery and energy storage industry. Some of these stories may become the subject of analysis by our own team—but we’re sharing them here, unfiltered, so that you can get them on your radar right away.

To keep the stream fresh, we will update this digest regularly—so please check back often!

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On May 1, the US House of Representatives introduced bipartisan bill HR 1817, the “Critical Material Transparency and Reporting of Advanced Clean Energy Act,” which would have the DOE develop its own version of the European Union’s Battery Passport: a digital tracker for battery components that will similarly track critical minerals as they move through the world’s supply chains. (Politico’s E&E News)

The Beijing Auto Show provides evidence to the NY Times that China’s EV makers are charging ahead of their global rivals with bigger cars and smaller, better batteries. China automakers “plan to put 71 new battery electric models on sale this year,” the report notes. (NY Times)

Raj Talluri, president and CEO of Enovix. Credit: ENOVIX

California-based Enovix reported a Q1 loss of $46 million—a much smaller Q1 loss than it had suffered in Q1, 2023, when it lost $73.6 million. This, along with a pledge of taking "decisive actions to reduce cash burn," and announcing a development agreement with an unnamed top-5 smartphone maker, sent the company’s share price up 20%. (MarketWatch via Morningstar)

Popular Science cites the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s new global battery report to explain that now-plummeting battery prices are good for the planet because that results in making the switch to renewable energy more affordable for nations around the world, rich or poor. (Popular Science)

In a report titled “What’s sending first-generation electric cars to an early grave?” NPR affiliate KUOW has a fascinating look at how the number of auto mechanics able to open an EV battery pack and repair a dead cell is dwarfed by the number of drivers whose aging EVs need such repairs. (KUOW/NPR)

Earlier:

CREDIT: LIU LIQUN / CORBIS DOCUMENTARY VIA GETTY IMAGES

Concerns about China's grip on the EV battery market show up in three news items this week. First, AlixPartners has released its 2024 International EV Consumer Sentiment Survey results, which finds that EV interest in the US is still growing but stagnant—while in China, almost all drivers intend to buy an EV as their next vehicle. (Forbes)

If Britain doesn’t manage to keep up with China on access to critical minerals used in EV batteries, the nation could lose 760 thousand jobs, warns British experts, citing the same IEA report referenced below (Express)

And South Korea-based LG Energy Solution says it has proof of patent infringements in multiple countries including China, the US, and India. The company will launch a new business model for licensing its battery technologies next month and may issue warning notices or sue the suspected companies. (Reuters)

CREDIT: SK Innovation

Meanwhile, South Korea’s SK Innovation says battery-making unit SK On’s Q1 profits have beaten forecast numbers with an operating profit of 625 billion won ($454 million) for the quarter: Average analyst forecast of 466 billion won ($339 million). (Reuters)

Microvast is issuing layoffs and needs $150 million in order to open its Clarksville, TN EV battery plant. Microvast CEO stated, “We currently are devoting our efforts to reducing our costs and obtaining new financing. The expense reduction will involve workforce adjustments and other cost-saving strategies.” (Clarksville Now)