CNGR Advanced Material Co., a Chinese maker of battery components, is joining forces with African private investment fund Al Mada to build an industrial base in Morocco.
Chaoji, a new EV charging standard developed by industry groups in China and Japan, has been certified by the Chinese government as a national standard.
China-based battery manufacturer Gotion High-tech is poised to gain traction in the European market. The company recently launched its first battery product at its first European factory in Germany. It also aims to build another facility in Middle Europe with battery startup InoBat.
The energy storage sector can be categorized into front-the-meter (FTM) and behind-the-meter (BTM). FTM systems require large-scale energy storage setups, while BTM systems primarily focus on medium and small-scale solutions, with lithium-ion batteries remaining the preferred choice for chemical energy storage. In Taiwan, the energy storage market has cooled off due to unclear policies, but in the US and Japan, the markets are flourishing. This has spurred Taiwanese companies to actively seek international opportunities.
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company Nio is reportedly planning to set up a joint venture with Svolt Energy Technology to jointly develop large cylindrical batteries with the aim of reaching mass production by 2025, according to industry sources.
Tesla's Mexican plant is under construction. Besides the EV giant, emerging US carmakers like Lucid and Rivian and veteran General Motors and Ford all plan to set up a production base at the US-Mexico border. Monterrey and Juarez City host most of the companies.
The European Commission (EC) recently voiced their support for the anti-subsidy probe into Chinese EVs. Intense domestic price competition has propelled Chinese brands to seek overseas markets. Industry sources point out that the probe is likely due to the fact that mainstream car makers in the European Union (EU) are lagging behind Chinese brands in the EV transition and could find it hard to compete with them.
The European Commission announced on September 13 that it will initiate an investigation to decide whether it will increase tariffs on China-made EVs. While the Chinese automotive industry has anticipated the move, it said the European Union should view the development of China-based EV makers objectively rather than increasing their operation costs.
Light electric vehicles are rising in Asia. Canadian startup Zen Energy sees the opportunity and has developed batteries with quadruple lifetime for two and three-wheelers. The company has chosen India as a launchpad to expand its business in Asia.
As Tesla proceeds with the construction project of a gigafactory in Mexico, the total investment is said to surge, according to Mexico's Nuevo Leon governor, Samuel Garcia, who added that the EV maker and its suppliers are expected to invest a total of US$15 billion, triple the original amount.
The tax incentives of the US Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) are luring lithium battery supply chains to swiftly set up shop in the country, gradually disrupting the initial natural monopoly led by Korean lithium battery giants and US automakers. Notably, Chinese manufacturers are making significant inroads.
Leading Chinese EV industry players BYD, CATL and Horizon Robotics participated in the IAA Mobility 2023 in Germany last week. Robin Zeng, CATL's founder and chairman, mentioned the sustainability of batteries and said the company already operates four zero-carbon battery plants. His remarks were viewed as a response to the European Union's new Batteries Regulation.
The UK is kicking in support toward BMW AG making electric Minis in Oxford without insisting that batteries are sourced locally, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch said, in candid comments on the auto industry's reliance on China.
South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution Ltd. is considering an expansion of its production in the US in a bid to triple sales from energy storage systems, according to a senior executive.
Taiwan-based LFP battery material manufacturer Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry (Aleees) updated its website on September 11, revealing that it now works with over 48 global customers. Compared with what it disclosed in January 2023, Aleees added one large EV customer in the US and one energy storage system (ESS) customer in Taiwan and Japan, respectively. It also supplies six more companies in India.
As the demand for EVs in India continues to rise, so does the need for batteries. At the moment, lithium-ion batteries are the primary roadblock in India's efforts to be self-sufficient in the EV sphere. Although the country has identified some lithium reserves, extracting them remains a distant goal.
South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution Ltd. is struggling to ramp up production at its plant in Poland, partly because of the attitude of local workers, its chief technology officer said.
China-based battery maker Gotion High-tech took another step forward to expand in the US. The company will establish a battery plant in Manteno, Illinois, in response to the growing market. The facility is slated to start production next year.
Foxconn applied for India's incentive schemes for computer and semiconductor manufacutring. Nvidia is optimistic about India's AI demands and is looking to expand the market.
The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) has allocated a budget of KRW11.22 trillion (approximately US$84.9 billion) for the year 2024. Based on President Yoon Suk-yeol's principle of "sharing wealth among all," while the research and development budget has decreased, there are budget increases in areas such as nurturing advanced industries like semiconductors, revitalizing the nuclear energy ecosystem, and enhancing export momentum.
India's cabinet has approved a plan to incentivize battery storage projects, as the South Asian country is pursuing carbon reduction and encouraging EV adoption.
China-based battery maker Gotion High-tech deepens ties with European battery startup InoBat by acquiring 25% of the latter's stake. The investment is expected to accelerate R&D and localization of the battery value chain in Central and Eastern Europe.
South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor and battery company LG Energy Solution have committed another US$2 billion to their joint battery cell manufacturing facility in Georgia, the US.
While the American journal Foreign Policy highlights China's restrictions on mineral exports, particularly rare earth minerals crucial for EV motors and battery components, and their potential impact on the global economy, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun emphasizes that various Japanese non-ferrous metal industry leaders and startups are actively engaged in the development of material recycling technologies to address the mineral shortage. However, the timeline for these efforts to become financially viable remains uncertain, casting doubt on the availability of effective solutions.
