- 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: ElectroTempo, an EV tech company, raises $4 million in funding and plans to expand its product and sales team.
Key points:
1. ElectroTempo develops planning and intelligence software for electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure.
2. The company raised $4 million in a seed round led by Buoyant Ventures and won a $2 million award from the Department of Energy.
3. ElectroTempo's software predicts EV charging demand, helps design charging networks, and integrates with existing modeling software for better infrastructure planning.
Main topic: General Motors (GM) invests in Mitra Chem to further commercialize its EV battery production and lower prices.
Key points:
1. GM is the lead investor in a Series B funding round for Mitra Chem, a startup focused on battery materials innovation.
2. The investment will support the development of iron-based cathodes and additional cell chemistries, such as lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) cells.
3. Mitra Chem's advanced technologies and accelerated formulation development can help GM bring new battery cell formulas to market more quickly, potentially leading to more affordable EVs for US consumers.
Main topic: General Motors (GM) invests in Mitra Chem to develop affordable battery chemistry for future electric vehicles.
Key points:
1. GM is leading a $60 million investment in Mitra Chem, a Silicon Valley startup that uses artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of lithium-ion battery materials.
2. Mitra Chem will help GM develop advanced iron-based cathode active materials, such as lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP), which could be used in GM's next-generation Ultium batteries after 2025.
3. The investment aims to reinforce GM's efforts in EV batteries, accelerate the development of affordable battery chemistries, and build a U.S.-based supply chain for battery materials.
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.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $15.5 billion package of funding and loans to support the transition to electric vehicles, retool existing factories, and expand domestic manufacturing of batteries, emphasizing job retention and promoting equity and environmental justice.
Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution are planning to invest an additional $2 billion into their electric vehicle and battery manufacturing plant in Georgia, increasing the total investment to nearly $7.6 billion and creating 400 more jobs. The investment will support the production of 300,000 electric vehicles annually and enhance battery technology for greater range and lower weight.
Daimler Truck, Accelera, and PACCAR have formed a joint venture to advance battery cell production in the United States, focusing on lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery technology for commercial electric trucks, with plans to invest between $2 billion and $3 billion to set up a 21-gigawatt hour (GWh) factory.
Chinese electric vehicle battery maker Gotion plans to open a $2 billion manufacturing plant in Illinois, creating 2,600 jobs and bolstering the state's ambitions to become a hub for the electric vehicle industry.
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.
European battery startups are facing challenges in producing affordable batteries at scale to meet the growing demand from the electric car industry, with factors such as supply chain disruptions, regulatory complexities, geopolitical tensions, and high raw material and energy prices dampening investor enthusiasm. The industry also needs to focus on developing smaller, lighter, more efficient, and cheaper battery technology to ensure profitability and support the electrification of the automotive sector.
The US Energy Department is investing $325 million in new battery technologies to enable the storage of solar and wind energy for extended periods, providing 24-hour power and increasing reliability and affordability.
LG Energy Solution is investing $3 billion in Michigan to manufacture lithium-ion batteries for Toyota electric vehicles, creating over 1,000 new jobs.
