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!

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)

In the US, Natron Energy is already producing sodium-ion batteries at its Michigan facility; the chemistry depends on much less expensive materials than does lithium-ion. (Bloomberg)

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)

Earlier:

CREDIT: SEAN GALLUP / GETTY IMAGES NEWS VIA GETTY IMAGES

China EV battery giant CATL has just revealed a new  lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery: The Shenxing Plus EV battery has a driving range of more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) on a single charge. (Reuters)

Good news: Global battery production doubled in 2023. Bad news: It will need to be six times faster to reach global renewable energy targets. Battery makers need to pick up the pace. So warns The International Energy Agency (IEA) this week. (The Guardian)

Bloomberg has a report out that argues that battery recycling advances, such as those implemented by Redwood Materials, “shatters the myth of EV waste.” (Economic Times)

Engineer with Canadian flag - stock imageCREDIT: SVIATLANA BARCHAN / ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES

Canada is making battery-industry news twice this week:  Volkswagen will produce solid-state batteries at the gigafactory it plans to build in Ontario, Canada, according to Volkswagen Group Canada CEO Vito Paladino. The St. Thomas gigafactory was announced in 2023. (Financial Post)

While just up the road, Honda is set to build a battery plant near its auto plant in Alliston, Ontario, sources at Honda Canada tell The Canadian Press; the official announcement comes next week. (CP24)

And twice in a week, the biggest source of power in the state of California wasn’t oil, wind, or solar but batteries—both times outputting more than 6000 megawatts of energy. (Business Insider)