Construction of Panasonic’s New EV Battery Factory in Kansas to Start in November

Tesla’s long-time battery partner Panasonic will begin construction of its new electric vehicle battery factory in Kansas in November, as the company aims to ramp up production to meet growing demand from automakers. The factory initially will produce 30 GWh of cylindrical lithium ion (Li-ion) 2170 batteries. Mass production of battery cells at the plant in De Soto, Kansas is targeted to begin by the end of March 2025.

Eric Walz2022-10-31 09:15 PT

Volkswagen Breaks Ground on the First of Six European Battery Cell Factories as Part of a $20 Billion Investment

Volkswagen is bundling its global EV battery business into a newly formed company named PowerCo as past of a $20 billion investment. The new company will be tasked with managing the entire value chain of the automaker's battery business, including sourcing raw materials and battery recycling. On Thursday, Volkswagen and PowerCo held a groundbreaking ceremony for the first of six new EV battery plants planned for Europe.

FutureCar Staff 2022-08-13 12:45 PT

Stellantis and Samsung SDI to Invest up to $3 Billion to Build a EV Battery Factory in Indiana

Automaker Stellantis and Samsung SDI announced on Tuesday that they have executed binding, definitive agreements to establish an electric-vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Kokomo, Indiana, U.S. The joint venture battery factory will include an investment of over $2.5 billion and create 1,400 new jobs in Kokomo and the surrounding region, according to Stellantis.

FutureCar Staff 2022-07-01 10:00 PT

Toyota to Build a ‘Multi-Billion Dollar' EV Battery Plant in North Carolina, its First in the U.S.

Toyota Motor Corp is making a "multi-billion dollar" investment to build an EV battery factory in North Carolina, state officials announced on Monday. The plant will supply the batteries for Toyota’s future U.S.-built models and employ roughly 1,750 workers from 2025 to 2029, making it one of the largest manufacturing investments in the state’s history, according to North Carolina's Commerce Department.

Eric Walz2022-01-12 11:15 PT

General Motors is Building a Joint Venture Cathode Material Processing Plant in the U.S. for Electric Vehicle Batteries

General Motors today announced plans with South Korean battery materials company POSCO Chemical to form a joint venture to construct a factory in North America to process battery materials for GM’s Ultium electric vehicle platform. The new facility will supply GM’s two Ultium Cell factories that the automaker and its battery partner LG Energy are building in Lordstown, Ohio and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

Eric Walz2022-01-07 13:00 PT

Mercedes-Benz Parent Daimler Takes a 33% Stake in Automotive Cells Company (ACC), to Source Batteries for its European Market EVs

Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler has taken a 33% equity stake in European battery manufacturer Automotive Cells Company (ACC) together with automaker Stellantis and French petroleum giant TotalEnergies. As Mercedes Benz transitions to becoming an electric-only automaker by the end of the decade, ACC will help the company to scale up development and production of next-generation battery cells and modules.

FutureCar Staff 2021-10-31 10:15 PT

OneD Battery Sciences Announces Breakthrough Silicon EV Battery Technology called ‘SINANODE’

Palo Alto, Calif-based battery developer OneD Sciences announced today a breakthrough battery technology its calls SINANODE, which has the potential to greatly increase the energy density of electric vehicle batteries. The technology adds energy-dense silicon nanowires onto a battery's positively charged graphite anodes during the manufacturing process.

Eric Walz2021-07-17 11:40 PT

Ford Motor Co. is Forming EV Battery Joint Venture with SK Innovation Called ‘BlueOvalSK’

Ford Motor Co is following its U.S. rival General Motors in setting up a joint venture to produce electric vehicle batteries at scale. Ford and South Korea-based SK Innovation announced today they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to create a joint venture EV battery company called “BlueOvalSK” to produce approximately 60 GWh annually in battery cells. The battery plant is scheduled to go online by mid-decade.

FutureCar Staff 2021-06-26 15:30 PT

Ford Motor Co Announces ‘Ford Ion Park’ to Accelerate the Development & Manufacturing of Advanced EV Batteries

U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co is preparing for its electrified future with the opening of a new EV battery R&D facility. The company announced on Tuesday Ford its investing $185 million in a new global battery center of excellence named “Ford Ion Park” in Southeast Michigan. The facility will help the automaker accelerate its research and development of EV batteries and battery cell technology, including future battery cell manufacturing.

FutureCar Staff 2021-06-03 14:45 PT

Daimler-backed EV Battery Developer Sila Nanotechnologies Raises $590 Million for its Next-Gen Batteries

Sila Nanotechnologies (“Sila Nano”), a California-based next-generation battery materials company, announced that it raised $590 million Series F funding at a $3.3 billion post-money valuation. The company is working to replace conventional graphite electrodes in a lithium ion battery with its proprietary silicon-based composite material that enables 20% higher energy density compared to traditional lithium ion batteries.

Eric Walz2021-03-04 12:10 PT

Battery Maker CATL is Working to Integrate Electric Vehicle Batteries into the Vehicle’s Chassis

Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd. (CATL) announced this week that it's working on a new battery technology that incorporates the battery cells directly into an electric vehicle’s chassis. The novel idea of integrating cells directly into an electric vehicle’s (EV) frame will allow more cells to fit, which can extend range.

Eric Walz2020-09-20 10:45 PT

Mercedes Benz is Strengthening its Alliance with China’s CATL for the Development of Electric Vehicle Batteries

Mercedes Benz announced on Wednesday it will strengthen its alliance with Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL). The automaker is counting on CATL to deliver battery packs capable of providing its future electric vehicles with at least a 435 mile (700 km) range, as well as offering faster recharging times.

Eric Walz2020-09-12 15:00 PT

Panasonic Plans to Boost the Power of Tesla’s Vehicle Batteries by 20% in the Next 5 Years

Japan’s Panasonic Corp., which is electric automaker’s Tesla’s exclusive battery partner in the U.S., is planning to boost the energy of its batteries by 20% over the next five years, the head of its U.S. battery business announced on Thursday.

FutureCar Staff 2020-09-05 15:05 PT

Chinese Battery Maker CATL Says its Ready to Build a 1.2 Million Mile EV Battery with a 16 Year Lifespan

Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), says it's ready to build an EV battery with an expected lifespan of 1.2 million miles or 16 years before its needs replacement, Bloomberg reported this week. In an interview at the company’s headquarters in Ningde, southeastern China, CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun says that the company is ready to build it.

FutureCar Staff 2020-07-19 15:10 PT

Chinese Battery Maker BYD to Supply EV Batteries to Ford Motor Company

Chinese battery maker BYD Co Ltd (BYD), will supply EV batteries to U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co, a document on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed on Monday. Ford’s China joint venture with Changan Automobile is currently seeking government approval to build a plug-in hybrid model equipped with BYD’s batteries, according to the document.

Eric Walz2020-07-08 14:05 PT

Volkswagen Begins Pilot Line Production of EV Battery Cells in Germany

Volkswagen announced on Monday that a pilot line for small-series battery cell production began operating on Monday at the Volkswagen Group Center of Excellence in Salzgitter, Germany.

Eric Walz2019-10-30 16:45 PT

U.S. Lawmakers Are Supporting a Electric Vehicle Supply Chain Policy to Help Secure Raw Materials for EV Batteries

As more electric vehicles enter the market from global automakers, there are concerns about securing an ample supply of raw materials, including cobalt and lithium used in EV battery cell production. On Tuesday, U.S. lawmakers moved closer to developing a national electric vehicle supply chain policy, with senators voicing bipartisan support for legislation designed to counter China's dominance in metals production and EV battery manufacturing.

Eric Walz2019-06-21 10:00 PT

Major Supplier Johnson Controls Sells its Auto Battery Business for $13.2 Billion

Major automotive part supplier Johnson Controls is exiting the auto industry. The company announced sale of its automotive battery business Power Solutions to a group led by Canada-based Brookfield Business Partners LP for $13.2 billion in cash.

Xiaoli Tian2018-12-26 12:53 PT

Germany's Varta Makes Plans to Mass Produce EV Battery Cells

German battery maker Varta​ has reached a research agreement to lay the groundwork for mass production of lithium-ion battery cells for electric cars.

Eric Walz2018-12-26 11:31 PT

BMW Teams Up with Sweden’s Northvolt for Sustainable EV Batteries

German automaker BMW is partnering with Swedish battery company Northvolt and Belgian materials recycling group Umicore on a project to create a sustainable life cycle for the EV batteries used in future models, the companies said on Monday.

Eric Walz2018-11-21 11:51 PT