Battery “gigafactories” are under construction all over the world—and none too soon. As EV sales grow, it is critical to establish local battery production and shorten supply chains. However, state-of-the-art cell packaging and chemistries are evolving quickly these days. How will cell manufacturers future-proof their cell production facilities? How flexible will these new plants be… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "raw material"
Battery passports will trace content and carbon footprint of EV batteries in Europe
Sustainability is the raison d’etre of EVs, so it’s obviously important to find a way to document the sustainable nature of the raw materials that go into EV batteries. A “battery passport” that traces the content and carbon footprint of batteries could be the solution, and that’s just what a new German-funded consortium of automakers… Read more »
GM and Glencore enter multi-year cobalt supply agreement
GM and mining giant Glencore have announced a multi-year sourcing agreement under which Glencore will supply GM with cobalt from its Murrin Murrin operation in Australia, to be used in GM’s Ultium battery cathodes. Both Glencore and GM are members of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), and Glencore’s Murrin Murrin operation conforms to the OECD-aligned… Read more »
Are nickel-based batteries on the way out?
Is a new standards war—or rather, a chemistries war—developing? There are several important differences between the NMC and LFP battery chemistries, but the most salient points seem to be that batteries based on NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt) offer higher energy density, but those based on LFP (lithium iron phosphate) tend to be cheaper. Chinese automakers… Read more »
Shortage of battery-grade graphite could slow down EV adoption
Graphite is a critical mineral for battery anodes, and surging demand for EVs is colliding with a limited global graphite supply. George Miller, an Analyst at data provider Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, recently told the South China Morning Post that global EV sales are widely expected to reach up to 11 million units in 2022, and… Read more »
Anovion seeks to secure North American supply chain for synthetic graphite
A new company has joined the growing North American battery material industry. Anovion has been launched with “key assets contributed by affiliates of Amsted Graphite Materials,” and the acquisition of the battery materials division of Pyrotek, a manufacturer of synthetic graphite anode material. The company boasts a capacity for anode powder graphitization of 5,000 tpa… Read more »
Northvolt to purchase paper mill in Sweden for cathode and cell plant
Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt has signed a letter of intent to purchase a former paper mill, which it plans to develop into a cathode and cell production plant. The Kvarnsveden Mill in Borlänge, Sweden closed in 2021. Northvolt plans to refurbish the facilities and infrastructure to develop a cathode and cell production plant, which is… Read more »
Britishvolt forms JV to source nickel sulphate from Indonesia
Battery pioneer Britishvolt will partner with VKTR, a new division of Indonesian industrial conglomerate Bakrie & Brothers, to develop a supply of nickel sulphate from Indonesia. A new joint venture called Indovolt BV VKTR will establish a nickel sulphate facility in Indonesia to supply battery raw materials to Britishvolt’s Gigaplant in Northumberland, England. The companies… Read more »
New Hyundai plant to produce EVs in Indonesia
Hyundai has launched a new automotive plant that will produce Indonesia’s first locally assembled EV. In 2019, Hyundai said it would invest $1.55 billion in the plant by 2030. Initial capacity is 150,000 vehicles per year, and this will later be expanded to 250,000. The new assembly plant will be linked with a Hyundai-LG joint… Read more »
Defense Production Act could boost domestic production of critical battery minerals
Shortages of battery materials represent a serious bottleneck that’s sabotaging environmental goals and costing consumers a bundle, and the supply crunch seems likely to be with us for some time. President Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act in order to encourage domestic production of critical raw materials. Doing so added critical battery minerals… Read more »