How Umicore is ensuring sustainability in the North American EV battery chain


Q&A with Umicore’s Robert Privette Umicore traces its roots to a Belgian mining company formed in 1906. Since then, it has moved on from mining to a variety of high-tech pursuits including refining, recycling and the manufacture of specialized metal products. Today it’s one of Belgium’s largest companies, and has a strong presence in e-mobility,… Read more »

Redwood Materials breaks ground on South Carolina EV battery recycling plant


Redwood Materials, the battery recycling firm run by Tesla alum JB Straubel, recently broke ground on a new facility near Charleston, South Carolina. The plant will complement the company’s Nevada materials location, and will be used to recycle, refine and remanufacture anode and cathode components. Also like Redwood’s Nevada site, the new Battery Materials Campus… Read more »

Kinterra’s NiVolt advances battery raw materials facility in Quebec


Kinterra Capital, a Canadian private equity firm, has announced that portfolio company NiVolt Technologies has demonstrated production of high-quality nickel and cobalt products for the battery supply chain. NiVolt has produced mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) containing over 45% nickel plus cobalt with low impurities and is conducting a feasibility study for a Quebec hydrometallurgical facility…. Read more »

Mercedes CTO says solid-state batteries may not be necessary


Solid-state battery technology is widely expected to be the next big thing in the EV world, as it promises higher energy density, lower cost and more safety than current Li-ion designs. However, Mercedes Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer recently voiced a contrarian view, saying that solid-state batteries “may not be necessary,” thanks to developments in… Read more »

New EV batteries use cost-effective niobium additives in the cathode


New battery chemistries using niobium oxide in the cathode active materials are nearing completion in Asia, according to CBMM, a niobium manufacturer and seller. Since 2019, CBMM has seen a 500% increase in niobium oxide exports to fulfill demand for new uses for EV battery cathodes. The company expects sales to reach 1,000 tons in… Read more »

E3 Lithium discovers high lithium concentrations in Alberta’s Nisku Aquifer


The Canadian province of Alberta, currently the country’s top producer of petroleum, could soon be producing substantial quantities of lithium. Alberta-based lithium developer E3 Lithium has announced the discovery of higher-than-expected lithium concentrations in the Nisku Aquifer through a new six-well sampling program conducted late in 2023. E3 Lithium sampled brine in the Nisku from… Read more »

China’s CBL to invest $420 million in Indonesian nickel mining and EV battery manufacturing


Chinese EV battery company Ningbo Contemporary Brunp Lygend (CBL) has agreed to invest $420 million in Indonesia’s nickel mining and EV battery manufacturing industries. Coordinating Maritime and Investment Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said that CBL has partnered with state-owned diversified miner PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) and battery maker PT Industri Baterai Indonesia (IBC). CBL… Read more »

Sion Power raises 75 million to commercialize its Licerion EV battery tech


Sion Power, a developer of next-generation batteries for EVs, has secured $75 million in Series A funding. The round was led by battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution, and included participation from Euclidean Capital and Hillspire. Sion Power’s Licerion technology uses compression in a lithium metal battery to enhance safety, lifetime and recharging rates. Sion has… Read more »

Battery cell qualification for EVs: Lucid’s cell specialist discusses the complicated process


Q&A with Lucid’s Battery Cell Technical Specialist Maithri Venkat. When it comes to battery cells for EVs, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. The properties of a particular cell act as constraining factors for every aspect of a vehicle’s design—and not only for vehicle performance parameters such as range and power, but for the development… Read more »

Accelera, Daimler Truck and PACCAR plan to produce battery cells in Mississippi


Marshall County, Mississippi, is the future site of a planned joint venture of Accelera, the zero-emissions segment of Cummins; Daimler Trucks & Buses US Holding, a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks; and US commercial truck maker PACCAR, which produces diesel and electric models under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF brands. Plans call for the 21 GWh… Read more »