- Two proposed factories for electric vehicle batteries have been added to The Information's Gigafactory Database.
- The factories include a plan by Samsung SDI and Stellantis for a battery factory in the US, and a factory proposed by Tata Group in the UK for Jaguar Land Rover.
- The Gigafactory Database now tracks a total of 66 planned factories in North America and Europe.
- The database also assesses which factories are likely to be built and which ones won't be.
- The addition of these factories reflects the growing demand for electric vehicles and the need for battery production facilities.
Main topic: The onshoring of battery manufacturing for EVs in the United States.
Key points:
1. The number of battery factories in the US has increased significantly, with about 30 factories either planned, under construction, or operational.
2. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) signed by President Joe Biden has incentivized automakers and consumers to produce batteries domestically.
3. Automakers and battery manufacturers have collectively invested close to $100 billion in building domestic cell and module manufacturing, with a capacity of over 1,200 gigawatt-hours before 2030.
Hint on Elon Musk: The article mentions Tesla's plans to invest billions in expanding its Gigafactory in Nevada and producing batteries for 1.5 million light-duty vehicles annually.
Main topic: Our Next Energy's potential solutions to the safety and range limitations of current battery technologies for electric vehicles (EVs).
Key points:
1. Solution #1: Cell-to-Pack Efficiency - Our Next Energy uses prismatic cells that come in their own rigid casing, improving a battery pack's mass and volume efficiency. Their lithium-iron-phosphate prismatic Aries II pack comes close to the mass and range of leading battery packs.
2. Solution #2: Dual-Chemistry Range-Extender Battery - Our Next Energy's Gemini battery combines LFP cells with nickel-manganese anode-free cells. The LFP cells handle everyday driving, while the anode-free cells provide long-haul range. The Gemini pack uses less cobalt, nickel, and graphite compared to NMC packs.
3. Timeline - Our Next Energy plans to enter the automotive market with their Aries II LFP packs in 2025 and their Gemini packs in 2026, potentially partnering with BMW. They are initially focusing on the smaller commercial truck/bus and grid energy-storage markets.
Main topic: General Motors leading a $60 million financing round in Mitra Chem to develop lower-cost batteries for electric vehicles.
Key points:
1. Mitra Chem is working to develop new types of batteries based on lithium iron phosphate chemistry, which cost less than standard lithium-ion cells.
2. LFP cells have lower power density than standard cells, requiring more cells and weight to match the range of conventional batteries.
3. Mitra Chem is adding manganese to the LFP battery chemistry to increase power density while retaining the cost advantage, using an AI-powered platform to accelerate the process. If successful, these batteries could appear in GM's vehicles later in this decade.
Main topic: General Motors' investment in Mitra Chem to develop affordable and sustainable battery materials for EVs.
Key points:
1. GM is leading a $60 million Series B round into Mitra Chem to develop advanced iron-based cathode materials for GM's EV architecture, Ultium.
2. Battery innovations are crucial for automakers to lower EV costs and promote widespread consumer adoption.
3. Mitra Chem uses AI to accelerate the discovery, synthesis, and testing of battery cell formulas, enabling a shorter time to market for new battery technologies.
Main Topic: Opportunities for Startups in the Automotive Industry
Key Points:
1. The automotive industry is undergoing a revolutionary transformation, creating opportunities for startups.
2. Startups can develop innovative solutions to address challenges related to congestion, pollution, safety, and accessibility.
3. Opportunities exist in specialized computing chips, cloud solutions, sensors, artificial intelligence, battery technology, power electronics, last-mile delivery, and retrofits in EVs.
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius plans to launch an electric vehicle architecture with the CLA compact electric sedan that will offer 30-35% more driving range per kilowatt-hour of energy stored in the battery, and will also introduce a lithium-iron-phosphate battery in the CLA model lineup, aiming to compete with Tesla and Chinese EV brands in terms of range and efficiency.
Europe's car manufacturers, including Volkswagen, Renault, and BMW, are concerned about the competitive threat posed by Chinese companies in the growing electric vehicle market, as China's ability to produce battery cells at a lower cost puts European manufacturers at a disadvantage without state subsidies, while luxury carmakers like Porsche are focusing on high-quality components to differentiate themselves from Chinese rivals.
Global EV battery developer Gotion High-Tech is investing $2 billion to build a new gigafactory in Illinois, making it the largest EV battery investment in the state's history, with the plant expected to produce 10 GWh of lithium-ion packs and 40 GWh of li-ion cells.
Honda and LG are building a battery manufacturing plant in Ohio, representing a shift towards transforming the US industrial heartland into the "Silicon Heartland" and reshoring essential technologies, although some projects have faced challenges and not materialized as planned.
Americans' hesitations to buy electric vehicles (EVs) are largely due to concerns around charging, with surveys showing that a lack of charging stations is a significant barrier to purchase, but efforts are being made to expand and improve the U.S. charging landscape through major incentives, partnerships, and the development of a single charging standard like Tesla's NACS plug design.
Tesla is considering building a battery factory in India to expand its presence in the country's fast-growing economy.
Ford's decision to halt the construction of a $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan highlights the challenge for Tesla's competitors in the US market, as most of these automakers are struggling to sell enough electric vehicles at high volumes to support profitable assembly plants, according to Reuters analysis.
Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 7.9% of all new cars sold in the U.S. during the third quarter, with over 300,000 EVs sold, reflecting a 49.8% increase from the same period in 2021.
Automakers are facing a slowdown in demand for expensive battery-powered vehicles, leading to growing inventories and high discounts, raising questions about whether the industry pushed EVs too early.
