Toyota Motor Manufacturing Türkiye (TMMT) in Sakarya, Turkey will build the second-generation Toyota C-HR, which will be available in hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions.
TMMT will also establish a 75,000-unit-per-year battery assembly plant alongside its car manufacturing line. Plug-in hybrid battery assembly will begin in December 2023, producing 60 skilled jobs.
Total investment for this project will be around €317 million, bringing Toyota’s cumulative investment in TMMT to around €2.3 billion.
“This marks an important milestone: our first battery assembly line [for the European market], which is an important step in our European electrification plan,” said Toyota Motor Europe EVP Manufacturing Marvin Cooke.
Traceability—the ability to document the sources of raw materials and components—is becoming a critical concern in the battery field as regulators incorporate country-of-origin requirements into new programs such as the EU Battery Regulation and the US Clean Vehicle Tax Credit.
Now SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera), a major lithium producer, has announced a collaboration with supply chain traceability specialist Circulor to deliver a traceability solution for lithium. SQM says it will make supply chain documentation, from source to final product, available to automakers, including Volvo.
London-based Circulor “gives organizations full visibility of their supply chains.” Customers “can follow the physical flow of critical materials from extraction to final production.”
SQM and Circulor began working together in 2022 to establish end-to-end lithium supply chain traceability, responding to growing demand from downstream customers.
In addition to following SQM’s lithium from its sources in Chile to its end use in EV batteries, Circulor also provides dynamic tracking of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions produced by each supply chain participant.
“We are fully committed to responsible production, and this adds to our existing sustainability credentials, which include IRMA certification and online salar monitoring,” said Ricardo Ramos, CEO of SQM. “We have the lowest CO2 and water footprint of any lithium producer in the world, and Circulor’s technology will now enable us to demonstrate this at every stage of the value chain.”
“Collaboration is key to achieving true supply chain transparency”, said Circulor CEO Douglas Johnson-Poensgen. “We are proud to work with SQM in pioneering full lithium traceability as we work toward greater sustainability, resiliency, and making such information available to automakers and their end customers.”
Cummins, which has been building diesel engines for heavy-duty vehicles since 1919, is methodically moving into the electric age. Now the company has successfully demonstrated a new ePowertrain for heavy-duty vehicles, using a test truck at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, England.
The integrated 17Xe ePowertrain, developed by Meritor (now part of Cummins) with Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) consortium partners Editron and Electra, features output capacity of 430 kW continuous power. It’s designed to power heavy-duty trucks and buses in 6×2 or 4×2 configurations, and is available in a range of ratios and with three-speed transmission capabilities.
Danfoss’s Editron division developed and supplied the electric motor and silicon carbide inverter powering the axle. The motor is based on a patented architecture and thermal management methodology that exceeds the APC’s 2035 Roadmap targets for power density. As a result, only one motor will be required in the electric powertrain—Cummins says current alternatives usually need two motors to meet this product segment’s power requirements.
“We’re excited to showcase the capabilities of the 17Xe ePowertrain,” said John Bennett, General Manager of ePowertrain at Cummins. “The compact, integrated design and power density are ideal for OEMs interested in developing future-proof, sustainable heavy-duty equipment.”
Sunil Maher, Senior Project Delivery Lead, APC, called the demonstration a major milestone. “Seeing this prototype vehicle in operation is a significant step to addressing net-zero transport challenges in the UK. I look forward to the next stage of development which will see technical improvements and further product variation, to deliver solutions for heavy-duty and commercial vehicles.”
Fleet operators looking to electrify may experience a new form of “sticker shock” when they realize how much electrical power will be required to keep their vehicles running on schedule. For a fleet of any size, a charge management solution is a must to keep energy consumption under control.
Charged asked Sam Hill-Cristol, Business Development Manager at The Mobility House, to give us some numbers. For example, let’s say we have a fleet of 50 trucks or buses. How much power capacity will we need, and by how much can we hope to reduce that requirement by using charge management?
Hill-Cristol explained that everything depends on the duty cycle of the vehicles. “If it’s a larger, mid-mile delivery truck, maybe you’re looking at a 50-kilowatt to 100-kilowatt charger minimum, and a 250 kW or even 350 kW charger could be needed. If you need that for every vehicle, you’re looking at 2,500 kilowatts, 5,000 kilowatts minimum. For school buses, often we’re looking at 19.2-kilowatt charging stations. So if you had 50 of those, that’s about 960 kilowatts.”
That’s the “nameplate” charging capacity—what you would require if you simply plugged in all of the vehicles at the same time. Of course, the point of charge management is to bring that number down.
“With charge management, we can see anywhere from a 15 to 20% reduction in that peak, all the way up to maybe 60% for school buses in some cases that we’ve modeled,” says Hill-Cristol. “School buses are a use case that has a huge potential for charge management because their schedules are not very demanding. You might be able to bring that 960 kW peak down to 200 kW, because you’re spreading that across the whole night. For commercial trucks, it may be somewhere in the middle. Then for a transit agency, where you have really demanding duty cycles, the vehicles are on the road a lot, maybe you only see a 10-15% reduction. But even then, for a fleet of 50 transit buses, you’re looking at at least 5 megawatts or something in an unmanaged scenario, so even that relatively small reduction can have some pretty big cost implications.”
Charge management is not just about reducing operating costs—thinking about it in the planning stages can save on capital investment too. “If you can reduce your peak by 50 to 60%, you’re going to save money on demand charges and reduce your electricity bill,” Hill-Cristol says. “But it also can have implications for the capital costs if you know what charge management can do for you up front. If you’re reducing your peak and maybe instead of 960 kW, you only need 200 or 250 kW, you might be able to buy fewer chargers. And if those chargers are of the type where you have 3 or 5 plugs for every power cabinet, you can still plug all the buses in. You still get 50 plugs, but behind that is less power, and that’s a lot cheaper.”
As the transition to EV accelerates, the opportunities for charging operators to invest and build public charging infrastructure remain boundless. The market is growing exponentially, with retailers, gas station owners and convenience stores also taking advantage as they install charging onsite, attracting more customers and creating new revenue streams.
However, there is no “one size fits all” for charging stations, as shifts in consumer demographics mean it’s vital for EV operators to be accurate in their site selections. It’s an increasingly competitive marketplace, so using the right location technology and data is a proven differentiator in building an optimal charging strategy that delivers maximum returns.
In this webinar, Etienne Lincourt and Saad Lahrech from the geo-spatial specialists Korem will discuss the tools and data available to help charging network companies and real estate owners make the right choices in their site selections as part of their EV strategy.
This webinar will be hosted by Charged on March 1, 2023 02:00 PM EST and will feature a live Q & A.
The iconic yellow machine is going green. Heavy-duty vehicle OEM Caterpillar has invested in Lithos Energy, a California-based producer of lithium-ion battery packs. Lithos specializes in shock-resistant and high-performance battery solutions for applications including off-road and marine.
Caterpillar has been developing its line-up of hybrid and full-electric machines and power generation products for some time. The company recently displayed prototypes of electric construction machines and batteries at the bauma trade show in Munich, and successfully demonstrated its first battery-electric 793 large mining truck at its Tucson Proving Ground in Arizona.
“Caterpillar’s collaboration with Lithos supports our commitment to delivering robust electrified products and solutions for our customers,” said Joe Creed, Group President of Caterpillar’s Energy & Transportation segment. “Cat equipment—regardless of its power source—is designed to operate in the most demanding conditions. Lithos’s experience manufacturing battery packs for similarly demanding environments will be an asset as we continue our electrified product development.”
“Caterpillar’s forward thinking, commitment to electrification and leadership position on the global stage for equipment manufacturers make this an ideal match,” said Lithos CEO James Meredith. “This funding will enable Lithos to accelerate technology development and scale up manufacturing capacity.”
Tesla has entered into a Binding Offtake Agreement with Australia-based Magnis Energy Technologies, “a vertically integrated lithium-ion battery technology and materials company,” for anode active materials (AAM).
Magnis is developing a graphite mine in Tanzania where it plans to extract “ultra-high-purity natural flake graphite.” Tesla plans to purchase at least 17,500 tons per year (tpa) starting from February 2025, and has an option to buy up to 35,000 tpa for a 3-year term at a fixed price.
But here’s the interesting bit: the deal specifies that Magnis will build a US facility to process the graphite into AAM for use in EV batteries.
Establishing domestic sources of raw materials—and especially, onshoring the processing of the specialized materials required for batteries, which currently takes place mostly in China—is a top priority for automakers these days, and Tesla is no exception. Indeed, the company has always been proactive about building the supply chain it will need to scale up its vehicle production.
“The agreement is conditional on Magnis securing a final location for its commercial AAM facility by 30 June 2023, producing AAM from a pilot plant by 31 March 2024, commencing production from the commercial AAM facility by 1 February 2025, and customer qualification,” says Magnis.
Magnis is a part owner of iM3NY, which recently began producing batteries at a new plant in Endicott, New York. Magnis is also an investor and partner with C4V, a New York-based battery tech firm.
Dutch sustainable energy company InnoEnergy, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), has partnered with New Energy New York (NENY) to develop a battery manufacturing and supply chain workforce in Upstate New York. The parties have signed a three-year deal worth $1.29 million.
NENY—an initiative led by Binghamton University, comprising a coalition of academic, non-profit and government organizations in collaboration industry—aims to develop a competitive battery development and manufacturing ecosystem in New York, including a well-trained workforce.
Through the partnership, NENY will use EIT InnoEnergy’s learning services platform, the European Battery Alliance Academy (EBA Academy), which is aimed at training current and prospective members of the battery workforce and includes curriculum, train-the-trainer services, a learning management system and insights into delivery methods.
The agreement will also include access to the EBA Academy’s programs for battery technicians and battery storage experts. The program for battery technicians will deliver 80 hours of learning, both online classes and in-person training. It will focus on up-skilling manual labor factory professionals working across the battery value chain.
“The value in any breakthrough in battery technology is its scalability,” said Oana Penu, EBA Academy Director, EIT InnoEnergy. “By connecting and training the right people, we help plug skills gaps, fill market niches and maximize the potential of every student, worker and entrepreneur we support.”
Swedish commercial EV manufacturer Volta Trucks has received its first orders for over 300 units of its medium-duty urban delivery electric truck Volta Zero, with associated revenue of more than €85 million.
Series production Volta Zeros are expected to start rolling off the line of the company’s contract manufacturing facility in Steyr, Austria, in early Q2 2023.
Volta says it will reveal customer details “later.” The company claims to have pre-orders for 6,500 trucks.
“Volta Trucks is poised for a successful first year of sales and production. We are confident and focused on delivering on our strategic ambitions and purpose to decarbonize and improve the safety of city centers,” said Essa Al-Saleh, CEO of Volta Trucks.
Lear, a manufacturer of automotive seating and electronic systems, plans to manufacture PACE battery disconnect units at its facility in Independence Township, Michigan, along with other vehicle electrification subsystems for batteries to be supplied to EV makers.
It also plans to expand its plant in Traverse City to produce EV battery pack components, and to upgrade its Sterling Heights facility for increased production of plastics needed for the new components.
According to Lear, the components control power transfer from a vehicle’s battery to its electrical systems, allowing EVs to charge faster and drive farther and delivering the higher-performance requirements of SUVs and light-duty trucks.
Lear CEO Ray Scott said, “The plant is slated to start production in early 2024. As a Michigan-headquartered company, it’s important to make this investment in our backyard as we continue to grow our portfolio of products for electric vehicles.”
The iconic cement mixer truck, which fascinated so many of us in our childhood, is considered one of the most challenging vehicle classes to electrify, due to heavy loads and the need for continuous mixing of the concrete. However, Volvo Trucks and global construction materials company CEMEX have been working together since 2021 to make it happen, and they now have a fully electric heavy-duty mixer truck on the road.
The Volvo FMX Electric concrete mixer truck features two motors with total power of 330 kW, an I-Shift gearbox, and four battery packs with total capacity of 360 kWh. The mixer body is powered by a hydraulic system that gets its power from a traction battery.
The electric mixer truck is now in operation at the Berlin Spandau ready-mix plant in Berlin. It can be used for a full day’s work with a single top-up charge, says Volvo.
“Both our companies have committed to ambitious sustainability targets and collaboration is the way to get there,” said Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm. “Our electric trucks are zero-emission, and their silent operation also provides a better environment for people working at construction sites, as well as for residents.”
“CEMEX is committed to becoming a net-zero CO2 company; innovation and collaboration are at the core of this commitment,” said Fernando A. González, CEO of CEMEX. “Our partnership with Volvo has tremendous potential to contribute to the decarbonization of our business.”
Volvo Trucks is developing a comprehensive electric line-up, including vehicles from 16 to 44 tons, in every segment from city distribution to refuse handling to urban construction and regional haulage. The company hopes to make half of its total sales of new trucks electric by 2030.
Electric transit buses are becoming increasingly common sights on US streets. A new report from clean transport consultancy CALSTART found that there are some 5,480 full-size zero-emission buses in operation in the US—an increase of 66 percent since 2021—and another 859 in Canada.
The entire US fleet of full-size transit buses numbered about 72,700 in in 2019.
Federal incentives and—particularly in California—state programs have been a major enabler for transit agencies to phase out fossil fuel-burning buses. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which became law in November of 2021, has made historic levels of funding available. In 2022, more than $1.6 billion was allocated to 150 transit fleets throughout the US through the FTA’s Low and No Emission Grants and the Bus and Bus Facilities Grants.
“The federal incentive has been a significant benefit, and will continue to be,” said Jarrett Stoltzfus, Senior Director of Government Relations and Public Policy at electric bus OEM Proterra.
Stoltzfus added that battery-electric buses are proving far more popular with transit agencies than hydrogen fuel cell buses. In 2022, there were about 5,269 battery-electric buses in operation or on the way, along with 211 fuel cell buses.
Hydrogen buses have the advantage of longer range, but the gap is shrinking as BEV technology continues to improve. Drawbacks of hydrogen include a lack of refueling infrastructure, and above all, costs.
“The cost of a hydrogen fuel cell bus is quite a bit higher on average,” said Stoltzfus. “There’s a use case where hydrogen makes sense, but we found with the vast majority of transit customers…battery-electric is the only player.”
However, Mike Hynes, Electric Bus Program Manager at CALSTART, said, “A transit agency must weigh many factors and ultimately make the choice that is right for them. It is reasonable to think that some agencies may deploy both technologies.”
California remains the centerpiece of the electric bus market, with nearly 2,000 e-buses in use by transit agencies.
Tokyo-based specialty chemicals producer Toyo Ink has established a manufacturing subsidiary, LioChem e-Materials, for the production of its Lioaccum conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions, used in lithium-ion battery (LiB) cathodes. The company says that its Lioaccum dispersion helps to increase LiB capacity and extend the cruising range of EVs, luxury cars in particular.
The new facility in Franklin, Kentucky, scheduled to come onlinein 2025, is a joint venture with business partner Inabata.
Toyo Ink says that, as US production capacity of automotive batteries is forecast to grow eight-fold by 2030, it plans to eventually raise its US production capacity of CNT dispersions to four times the current level.
Liminal, a provider of battery manufacturing data and analytics, has announced a $17.5-million Series A2 funding round to scale its EchoStat inspection systems into factory-integrated solutions for global battery manufacturers, in partnership with climate tech fund ArcTern Ventures and other investors including battery cell manufacturer Northvolt.
“Our products help battery manufacturers hit their aggressive production volume and cost targets, while ensuring their cells meet stringent EV safety and performance requirements,” said Liminal CEO and co-founder Andrew Hsieh. “As we deploy our first factory-integrated solutions, we are excited to be joined by top-tier climate investors and one of the most promising global battery manufacturers.”
“Most battery innovation to date has focused on material science,” ArcTern Partner Mira Inbar said. “However, the industry needs a larger focus on process and manufacturing innovations to ensure both affordability and safety. Liminal is the only company that we see effectively bridging that critical gap.”
“Ensuring high-quality cells through cost-competitive technology innovation is what this investment is about,” said Northvolt CEO and co-founder Paolo Cerruti. “Northvolt’s participation in this round will contribute to the scale-up and industrialization of Liminal’s solutions by combining the unique skill sets of the two companies.”
The new 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 has completed final EPA testing. Different trim levels earned different estimated range figures, but the star of the show was the IONIQ 6 SE RWD Long Range variant, which achieved an EPA-estimated range of 361 miles.
The EPA testing also awarded a 140 combined MPGe rating to the IONIQ 6 SE RWD Long Range variant, which matches the MPGe ratings of two Lucid Air models that top the DOE’s fuel economy Top Ten list.
“Continually improving the efficiency of our vehicles is always a top priority for our development teams,” said Olabisi Boyle, VP of Product Planning and Mobility Strategy for Hyundai Motor North America. “Instead of just adding a larger battery to increase the range, we chose to optimize IONIQ 6’s aerodynamic performance and its Electric-Global Modular Platform for efficiency to produce these long driving ranges.”
In September, FREYR Battery and Japanese electric motor producer Nidec announced plans to establish a downstream joint venture to produce battery modules and packs.
Now the new JV, Nidec Energy, has been officially established. Mass production is expected to commence in 2025, and the goal is to manufacture more than 8 GWh per year of modules and packs from 2027, and 12 GWh per year by 2030.
Nidec Energy’s module production is expected to be integrated into FREYR’s Giga Arctic facility in Mo i Rana, Norway, which is currently under construction. The joint venture is expected to invest more than $127 million by 2030, and eventually employ more than 300 people, the majority of whom will be based in Mo i Rana.
“The official incorporation of the joint venture with Nidec is a significant milestone in our journey to bring speed, scale and sustainability to battery storage solutions globally,” said Tom Einar Jensen, FREYR’s co-founder and CEO. “This partnership will enable us to accelerate the development of our highly competitive, low-carbon modules and battery pack solutions for industrial and utility-grade applications.”
“This joint venture will support the development of our fast-growing ESS business and aligns with our firm commitment to develop technologies that contribute to reducing global carbon emissions,” said Laurent Demortier, President of Nidec’s Energy and Infrastructure Division. “For us, FREYR is a natural partner with clean energy and sustainability ambitions. They also bring expertise and resources related to battery cell design and manufacturing, which includes the market-leading 24M SemiSolid lithium-ion battery cell technology.”
As one of the prerequisites to establishing the joint venture, a package of 24M Technologies sample cells was sent to a third-party laboratory for testing to measure the capacity, charge and discharge profiles of the cells.
Key results from sample cell testing, according to the companies:
The sample cells exhibited top quartile gravimetric energy density performance for LFP graphite batteries.
Characterization analysis demonstrated very similar behavior across the cells, and behavior remained stable across several cycles with relatively low variability across the sample pool, which provided a positive indication of cell quality.
The cells exhibited best-in-class performance for thermal stability, indicating robust safety characteristics.
An increasing number of utilities are offering time-of-use rate plans and other incentives to encourage EV owners to do their charging during off-peak hours. But what if a utility had a way to single out the troublemakers, identifying individual EV drivers who often charge during peak times in order to educate them about available incentive programs?
That’s what software provider Bidgely is offering with its Active Managed Charging feature, part of its UtilityAI EV Solution. Active Managed Charging (direct load control) is now part of Bidgely’s end-to-end EV Solution, which also includes EV Detection and Targeting, EV Passive Managed Charging (behavioral load shift) and EV Grid Analytics.
The company says Active Managed Charging can be launched in just weeks without data integration, as a turnkey standalone application. Over 25 OEMs are available for data connection, and 7 are available for active control: Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Toyota, Tesla and VW.
Bidgely’s EV Solution targets high-peak charging customers for incentive programs using its proprietary EV disaggregation technology. The company says its system can identify customers with EVs on the grid with 90-percent accuracy, and provide behind-the-meter visibility into their charging behaviors. This allows utilities to target their highest-value customers for load-shifting programs.
Bidgely says it has partnered with a range of utilities to help them realize sustainable load shifting. One investor-owned utility reported over 90 percent accuracy in EV detection and estimation, and was able to shift 75 percent of the charging load from on-peak to off-peak. Now, this utility says that 97 percent of all EV charging is occurring off-peak.
“The EV revolution is going to have a rapid and profound impact on load pressure, grid resilience and decarbonization,” said Bidgely CEO Abhay Gupta. “Utilities will need to take a smart and integrated approach to EV engagement and management, and the only way to do this rapidly at the scale this revolution demands is by harnessing the power of data and AI to empower smarter energy decisions.”
Automakers are in the midst of what is arguably the largest technological shift since the birth of the industry, and it’s inevitable that they’re going to have problems. Despite their deep pockets and vast expertise in manufacturing, legacy brands are still struggling to catch up with industry gadfly Tesla—but as VW’s former CEO Herbert Diess might agree, any exec who has the candor to admit as much does so at great peril.
That’s why it was particularly refreshing to hear Ford CEO Jim Farley candidly describing some of the growing pains that his company has experienced in the transition to the new technology. On a recent call with investors (via CNN), Farley was forthcoming about some of the missteps Ford made as it rolled out its acclaimed new EVs, the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning pickup.
Customer demand isn’t a problem—both vehicles have long waiting lists—but ramping up production hasn’t been trouble-free.
“We didn’t know that our wiring harness for Mach-E was 1.6 kilometers longer than it needed to be. We didn’t know it’s 70 pounds heavier and that that’s [cost an extra] $300 a battery,” he said on the call. “We didn’t know that we underinvested in braking technology to save on the battery size.”
Farley admitted that production problems of this kind meant that Ford “left about $2 billion of profit on the table.”
Ford has set a target of increasing its EV sales from 3% of total US sales in 2022 (even that measly figure was enough to make it the number-two US EV-maker) to 40% by 2030. Along that road lie not only challenges, but opportunities—EVs are expected to require about 30% less labor to assemble than ICEs (although, as VW’s Mr. Diess learned, not all parties consider that a good thing).
Farley conceded that making the transition is hard work. “As with any transformation of this magnitude, certain parts are moving faster than I expected and other parts are taking longer.” He also promised that Ford is learning quickly, and that its next generation of EVs will be better for consumers as well as more efficient for the company to build.
The stock analysts on the recent call sounded more concerned about profit margins than about consumer prices. Ford and its colleagues have a long way to go before they can match Tesla’s industry-leading margins, which are reported to be as high as 25%. “Do you think you can sell a $40,000 electric crossover with a 20% gross margin?” asked Rod Lache of Wolfe Research.
Farley assured us that Ford has fixed the problems with the Mach-E’s wiring harness, and noted that the 70 pounds saved enabled it to increase range and lower cost. As production volumes grow, we can expect Ford and other legacy brands to discover other such cost-saving improvements, allowing them to lower prices, increase margins, or both.
Charging network operator and charger provider FLO has introduced the FLO Ultra, a new DC fast charger taht features two charging ports in one rugged aluminum enclosure. It provides up to 320 kW of power using dynamic power sharing.
The new charger can be configured in a variety of ways, allowing for flexible parking options for drivers and easier installation for site hosts. The FLO Ultra’s flexible and modular design accommodates charging on one or on both sides, and parallel or pull-in parking for charging.
The FLO Ultra’s illuminated canopies are designed to make it easy to locate, and state-of-charge indicators let drivers know if the charger is available for immediate use. An independent color touchscreen display for each charging port supports flexible and secure payment options.
A patent-pending motorized cable management system keeps cables off the ground, and is designed to make the cables feel lighter and easier to maneuver.
The FLO Ultra is designed to be easily serviceable, with large front and back doors and modular components for quick replacement. The FLO network enables remote monitoring for timely diagnostic and proactive action to avoid potential issues. The company’s optional FLO Performance Warranty guarantees a minimum of 98% uptime.
FLO Ultra chargers will be available starting in 2024, and will meet the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program’s (NEVI) minimum standards, including Buy America requirements.
“EV demand and sales are topping all industry expectations,” said Nathan Yang, FLO Chief Product Officer. “As new EV drivers hit the road, they will be looking for fast charging that is safe, accessible, convenient, intuitive and reliable. This is why we designed FLO Ultra—to provide the ultimate EV charging experience.”
US electronic components manufacturer Kyocera AVX has launched its first automotive-qualified supercapacitors, also known as cylindrical, electrochemical, double-layer capacitors.
According to the company, its five SCC Series supercapacitors are tested and qualified to the AEC-Q200 standard, meeting test conditions designed to replicate the mechanical and electrical conditions in automotive applications. They are rated for 25 F and 2.7 V, 100 F and 2.7 V, 10 F and 3 V, 35 F and 3 V, and 100 F and 3 V, and also comply with UL 810A, RoHS and REACH requirements.
The company says the new supercapacitors can be used alone or with primary or secondary batteries to extend backup times and battery life and leverage instantaneous pulse power, and are suitable for such applications as electronic mechanical latching, emergency calling, electronic recording, regenerative braking, and power and backup power systems.
“We introduced the first SCC Series supercapacitors in October 2016,” said Mamoon Abedraboh, Kyocera Global Product Manager. “In the years since, they have proven to deliver high-quality, high-reliability performance, optimal pulse power handling characteristics, and an impressive price-performance ratio in industrial and consumer applications all around the world. We’re excited to offer solutions with those same outstanding characteristics to our automotive customers.”
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) don’t get much respect in the EV industry these days. They’re the epitome of a transitional technology, and it would be hard to argue that many of them justify their price premiums over plain hybrids. It’s widely believed that, thanks to ill-considered government incentives, many PHEVs are bought by drivers who never intend to plug them in.
But wait—it gets worse. A recent study indicates that the real-world emissions of some PHEVs may be much higher than advertised—shades of Dieselgate, aka the Dirty Diesel Debacle, a scheme under which automakers conspired to defraud auto buyers and regulators.
Advocacy group Transport & Environment commissioned the Technical University of Graz in Austria to road-test three new popular, average-size PHEVs—the BMW 3 Series, the Peugeot 308 and the Renault Megane—and found that they didn’t live up to their advertised specs.
The researchers found that real-world CO2 emissions of the tested vehicles ranged from 85 to 114 g/km, around 3 times the artificially low official ratings of 27-36 g/km. When the vehicles were not charged, emissions were 5-7 times the official values, and even with a fully charged battery, real-world emissions were between 1.2 and 3 times the official values. Two of the three vehicles demonstrated substantially lower ranges than advertised: 26% lower in the case of the BMW and 47% lower for the Peugeot.
Two years ago, T&E tested the BMW X5, Volvo XC60 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs under a wide range of conditions, mostly on longer routes. This year, T&E tested three smaller PHEVs on shorter “commuter” routes. Even when starting with a fully charged battery and driving in the mode selected by the vehicle, the Peugeot and the Renault emitted between 1.2 and 1.7 times the amounts of CO2 indicated by their official ratings (33-50 g/km). The BMW emitted over 100 g/km, 3 times the official value.
That was a best-case scenario. One of the dubious selling points of a PHEV is that you don’t have to charge it, and many drivers don’t. (By my estimate, charging my Prius Plug-in saves me about 40 cents, so some might argue “Why bother?”) According to T&E, studies have shown that many PHEVs, especially company cars, are rarely or never charged. When tested with an empty battery in the city, the BMW and the Peugeot emitted 200 g/km—equivalent to the emissions of the legacy VW Tiguan SUV. The Renault, which is lighter and has a much smaller gas engine, had emissions of 138 g/km.
Most PHEVs offer limited electric range, and T&E found that the three models it tested didn’t even deliver the measly range they should have. None of the three managed more than 50 km driving around the city of Graz, and only the Renault achieved its advertised range. The BMW’s real-world electric range was 26% lower than it should have been, and the Peugeot’s range was 47% lower.
BMW’s eDrive Zone geo-fencing feature is advertised as a way to automatically switch to zero-emission driving when in designated zones—a way to comply with (or evade) the emission-free zones found in a growing number of European cities. Leaving aside the question of whether it makes sense to displace emissions from the city center to the suburbs, T&E found that the feature didn’t even work. “During testing the technology failed to guarantee emission-free city driving. With geo-fencing technology enabled, the engine switched on twice while driving in the city.”
Despite their dubious climate benefits, carmakers benefit from generous government subsidies for PHEVs. According to T&E’s calculations, in 2022, European subsidies were worth €0.9 billion or €8,200 per PHEV to BMW; €1.3 billion or €9,300 per PHEV to Stellantis; and €0.3 billion or €6,900 per PHEV to Renault/Nissan/Mitsubishi. “Selling PHEVs with artificially low emissions also means that fewer BEVs need to be sold for carmakers to comply with CO2 targets.”
T&E (among others) recommends that policymakers end purchase subsidies for PHEVs. Failing that, at the very least, official emissions figures should be regularly updated with real-world data, and PHEVs should not be treated as zero-emission vehicles, even if they have so-called geo-fencing capability.
Redwood Materials, the battery recycling firm headed by Tesla alum JB Straubel, has received conditional commitment for a $2-billion loan from the DOE’s Loan Program Office as part of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program (ATVM). Redwood will draw upon this financing in tranches to support the phased construction and expansion of its battery materials campus.
As Redwood explains, the two most essential components in a battery are the anode and cathode. The cathode contains lithium, nickel and cobalt, and the anode contains copper and graphite. These components, which account for nearly 80% of the materials cost of a lithium-ion battery, are currently manufactured entirely overseas, predominantly in Asia.
Redwood is committed to manufacturing anode and cathode components in the US, and producing them from an increasing amount of recycled content. In January, the company began producing anode copper foil at its Northern Nevada facility. Phase One of copper foil production is now complete, and Redwood expects to begin cathode qualification later this year.
Panasonic will be the first of several partners to source Redwood’s copper foil, which it will use for cell production at Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory. Panasonic will also use Redwood’s cathode material for battery cell production at its new Kansas plant, which is expected to come online in 2025.
Redwood will use the DOE’s 2 billion big ones to accelerate the construction and expansion of its battery materials campus, where the company aims to produce 100 GWh per year of ultra-thin battery-grade copper foil and cathode active materials from both new and recycled feedstocks—enough battery materials to produce more than a million EVs per year from US-made components.
“We have been working closely with the Loan Programs Office for more than a year, and have undergone an extensive diligence process that thoroughly reviewed our technology, our ability to repay the loan, product demand, and dozens of other factors to get to this stage,” says Redwood. “Our project allows battery and automotive manufacturers to meet the new stringent critical mineral and battery component requirements [of] the Inflation Reduction Act. These policies support the localization of the battery supply chain—Redwood’s core mission—and our operations ensure that the American battery industry has the necessary materials needed to successfully transition the US to a clean energy and clean transportation future.”
Thermal issues associated with the battery might affect its safety, reliability, lifetime, and performance. What if you can ensure the battery operates in safe temperature ranges while maximizing its performance, minimizing its degradation and avoiding hazardous conditions?
Siemens offers an integrated battery design and thermal management workflow with multi-level modelling and multi-physics simulations.
In this 60-minute webinar, Sana Loussaief and Nils Ziegler from Simcenter explain how to evaluate the electrical and thermal simulation of battery packs.
Key topics and takeaways:
Deploy an integrated workflow for battery design and thermal analysis, including thermal runaway propagation at the pack level
Make use of neural networks to accelerate transient cycle analysis
Gain valuable insights into battery performance and thermal behaviors through the interoperability capabilities of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ and Simcenter Amesim.
The webinar hosted by Charged on Wednesday, Feb 15th, 2023, at 11 AM US EDT includes a presentation and live Q&A session.
Swiss battery maker Leclanché says it has found a way to reduce the cobalt content in nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum oxide (NMCA) cathodes from 20% to 5%, by using in a new environmentally friendly water-based process.
The company’s G/NMCA cell has a nickel content of around 90%, which it says increases energy density and enables the reduction in cobalt content.
According to Leclanché, NMCA cathodes deliver 20% more energy density compared to conventional G/NMC cells. However, most manufacturers produce these cathodes using organic solvents such as NMP (N-methylpyrrolidone), which are highly toxic and harmful to the environment. In 2018, NMP was added to the list of Substances of Very High Concern, and its use has been restricted by the European Commission.
Leclanché has been using aqueous binders in its production process for around 13 years, and uses no organic solvents in the technically simpler process. This eliminates the risk of explosion, and the health hazard for production employees. The water-based process also allows Leclanché to dispense with energy-intensive processes for drying, flashing off and recycling the solvents, resulting in 10-30 percent lower energy consumption.
“With the water-based production of the high-capacity NMCA cathodes, we have reached a decisive milestone in lithium-ion technology,” said Dr. Hilmi Buqa, Vice President of R&D. “Until now, producing them using environmentally friendly processes was considered impossible, but now we have mastered the process.”
Leclanché’s new G/NMCA cells are expected to be available on the market in 2024.
3D-printed solid-state battery manufacturer Sakuú has selected Porsche Consulting to design its planned global gigafactories.
Sakuú expects the partnership to provide it with expertise for building gigafactories to meet its 2030 annual energy output goal of 200 GWh across its developing energy storage product line.
Sakuú’s first plant design will accommodate roll-to-roll manufacturing for its line of high-energy-density batteries, followed by a series of plants utilizing the company’s Kavian platform solution to produce its Swift Print solid-state battery line via multi-material additive manufacturing.
Sakuú says its Swift Print technology provides a 100% greater capacity in a 50% smaller and over 40% lighter package than that of comparable Li-ion cells.
More than three years after Elon Musk stunned the auto industry with an electric pickup truck that looked more like a stealth fighter than a way to haul two-by-fours and drywall, Tesla said last month that it would begin building the vehicle by the end of 2023.
The announcement has helped fuel a recovery in Tesla’s share price, but also revived a debate about whether the often-delayed pickup, called the Cybertruck, is a work of genius or evidence of Mr. Musk’s hubris.
It would be very unlike Mr. Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, to build a pickup that looked anything like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado or Ram 1500 pickup — three of the best-selling vehicles in the United States.
With its angular stainless steel body, the Cybertruck is an attempt to redefine the pickup in the same way that Tesla upended the conventional wisdom of the auto industry by proving that battery-powered vehicles could be practical and profitable.
A Tesla Model 3 used for test drives in Poland has been found displaying distances without ultrasonic sensors (USS). The prospective owner who did the test drive of the Model 3 without USS noticed it was detecting distances and snapped a photo. Tesla replaces demo vehicles every three months, which means that this vehicle wouldn't have ultrasonic sensors. The odometer in the photo shows that this vehicle only has 2,800km. The driver also provided the VIN to the vehicle which confirmed it was a 2023 Model 3.
We previously reported on a video shared by Occupy Mars of their salvaged 2018 Tesla Model 3 detecting distances without USS. In the 10.5-minute video, Occupy Mars shows the vehicle displaying distances from objects with its USS and radar sensor unplugged. The Model 3 was running version 2022.28.2, which was released in September 2022.
Occupy Mars’ Model 3 only detected distances while in reverse, despite a large portion of the car having been taken apart. They further tested their findings by covering up the front-facing and B-pillar cameras with tape. Once the cameras were covered, the vehicle immediately stopped displaying distances and arcs from nearby objects.
Graphite is a pure form of carbon. Its physical structure allows it to store lithium ions.
There are three main forms of graphite: spherical graphite is used in non-EV battery applications, whereas EV batteries use a blend of coated spherical graphite and synthetic graphite.
Graphite is the critical component of all current anode designs. Some advanced designs use a small amount of silicon, which can store more energy. However, the use of silicon is limited by its tendency to expand significantly during charge and discharge, so graphite is expected to remain the main anode material for the foreseeable future.
The company Graphex occupies a middle position in the supply chain—it buys raw graphite from mining companies, puts it through several purification and processing steps, then sells it to battery manufacturers.
Q&A with Graphex CEO John DeMaio
Reading the EV press, you might assume that lithium, cobalt and nickel are the stars of the battery show—they get a lot of coverage, as pundits debate the relative merits of NMC and LFP cathode chemistries and agonize over looming shortages. Meanwhile, over in the anode, there’s an unsung hero: graphite. This crystalline carbon allotrope is good for more than just pencils—it’s found in every EV battery anode, and producing graphite in the forms needed to build high-performance battery cells is a complex and exacting process.
Graphex is a major global producer and distributor of graphite in its various forms. The company manufactures 10,000 metric tonnes per year of purified spherical graphite for EV battery anodes. It also provides technology for producing coated spherical graphite (CSG) and distributes synthetic graphite. Battery makers use a blend of CSG and synthetic graphite to form Li-ion battery anodes.
Charged recently spoke with Graphex CEO John DeMaio, who gave us an explanation of graphite’s essential function, the current state of the industry, and some trends to watch for the future.
Charged: Perhaps you could start with a rundown of what graphite is all about. What exactly does graphite do in the anode?
John DeMaio: In simple terms, a battery has four major components: cathode, anode, separator and electrolyte. A lot of discussion focuses around the cathode side: the lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, etc. The anode side is not that remarkable. That’s almost entirely made of graphite, sometimes a combination of natural and synthetic graphite, and in rare cases, there’ll be a tiny amount of silicon doping. The anode side of the battery is where electrons or ions are stored during charge and moved to the cathode side during discharge. So the properties of graphite that are important are its ability to retain charge and to charge up as quickly as possible. That really is the Holy Grail of battery chemistries: quick charging, plus long endurance, long range and multiple cycle times.
The anode side of the battery is where electrons or ions are stored during charge and moved to the cathode side during discharge. So the properties of graphite that are important are its ability to retain charge and to charge up as quickly as possible.
Charged: Is it the physical structure of graphite that allows it to store the ions?
John DeMaio: Correct. The term graphene gets thrown around quite a lot. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms. Graphite is a pure form of carbon—by the time we process it into anode material, it’s 99.95% pure—and it’s the most stable form of carbon. The graphene layer of each particle is pretty much the outside layer or two, and that’s where the ions get stored. That’s where the magic happens, so to speak.
Charged: Do all anodes use graphite?
John DeMaio: Currently, there are some emerging technologies that try to use silicon as the anode material. Silicon has some very desirable properties—it stores significant amounts of energy, it’s very conductive, it’s lighter—but there are some challenges with it. So all the workable batteries that are out there now use graphite on the anode side, and they will for—as we see it—the foreseeable future.
Charged: Why is silicon not yet a viable substitute for graphite?
John DeMaio: I think the biggest challenge is its expansion during charge and discharge. Silicon can grow up to 400% of its original size, and that expansion creates a challenge for the physical properties of battery technology. If you have 800 to 1,800 individual cells that make up an EV battery, if each one expands, obviously you’re going to have a real problem with constraining that. There is also a challenge with what we’ll call the shelf life, the calendar aging of silicon. And I believe during the charge and discharge cycles, there is some change in the morphology of pure silicon.
The way graphite gets applied to the anode, the graphite is formed into a slurry, and then that slurry is coated onto a very thin copper sheet. In some battery chemistries, they’re introducing maybe one to three percent of silicon oxide. There are other technologies that are being developed such as silicon nanotubes and other types of additives to go into the anode side, but those are in very small percentages. So, all the projections are that the use of graphite in anodes—natural or synthetic—is stable for the next decade or more although there might be introduction of silicon or other additives to try to enhance the battery performance.
All the projections are that the use of graphite in anodes—natural or synthetic—is stable for the next decade or more although there might be introduction of silicon or other additives to try to enhance the battery performance.
Charged: Does graphite also expand during cycling?
John DeMaio: It does. Natural graphite expands, and that’s one of the challenges that we try to address with the technology. There’s probably a three to eight percent expansion rate in natural graphite over time, and about a three to five percent expansion rate in synthetic graphite. Coating the particle with a microscopic layer of asphalt tends to contain that expansion.
Charged: That’s hard for me to visualize—I envision you charging the battery and the cell’s bulging like a balloon, but that’s not how it works, is it? The actual cell doesn’t expand.
John DeMaio: No, not by any means, but that is definitely a concern. You see that, for example, in your everyday household batteries, when they crack and leak at the end of life. Now, the graphite that is in those batteries is not treated the same as the graphite that goes into electric vehicles, which is why the highest and best use of graphite really is in EV batteries, because of the processing that we do. We purify it to 99.95%, we create as close to spherical particles as we can, and then we coat those particles with a coating that resists that expansion and aids in the ability to compact as many particles as possible into a thin layer.
There’s a lot that goes into not just the graphite technology, but graphite as a part of a bigger ecosystem in the battery. There is a lot of R&D going on about optimizing performance of all the different components and how they work together. There are cylindrical cells, pouch cells and prismatic cells. It’s really up to the battery manufacturers and the automakers as to which physical configuration to use, and then of course the internal chemistry configuration. There’s a lot of moving parts with respect to battery chemistry—there’s lithium-iron-phosphate, then you’ve got nickel-cobalt-manganese. It’s all based on what the battery manufacturers think is the best for their application.
Charged: But the different chemistries apply only to the cathode, right? The anode is almost all graphite in any case.
John DeMaio: That is correct, and we like that!
Charged: Haha, I bet you do! Is there still room for improvement in the properties of graphite?
John DeMaio: Yeah, we’re constantly looking at ways to achieve that Holy Grail—more energy density. Battery tech is always looking for longer range and faster charging, and graphite plays a role in that, so we are constantly looking at ways to optimize the performance of our graphite.
Charged: I see that there are several different kinds of graphite—we’ve got spherical graphite, coated spherical graphite, synthetic graphite. How do they differ, and why do you need a blend of the different kinds?
John DeMaio: Spherical graphite is what goes into non-electric vehicle applications. Electronics, power tools, cell phones, laptops. I’ll walk you through the evolution of graphite from rock form to anode. The miners perform what’s called concentration. They crush the ore, then put it through a process called flotation, which separates the graphite from most of the impurities, and that brings it to about a 95% carbon content, and that’s what we acquire from the mining/concentrators on that side of the world.
That spherical graphite is a less expensive product than its cousin, where we take the spherical graphite and put it through a secondary process called coating—applying that microscopic layer of asphalt to it. That becomes coated spherical graphite, and goes into electric vehicles.
So we acquire 95% material, then we put it through a process called shaping and purification, and the end result of that is spherical graphite. So that’s 99.95% now, and it’s shaped into close to spherical—more like potato-shaped—particles. That spherical graphite is a less expensive product than its cousin, where we take the spherical graphite and put it through a secondary process called coating—applying that microscopic layer of asphalt to it. That becomes coated spherical graphite, and goes into electric vehicles. So that’s the relationship between those two—one is just a further processed version of the other.
Scanning electron microscope image of Graphex’s coated spherical graphite used to form the Li-Ion battery anode.
Synthetic graphite is a completely different animal. It’s derived from petroleum coke, from needle coke that’s put through what’s called a carbonization process. It’s carbon, of course, but completely different, and that is one of the pros and cons. It is a little bit better in its expansion performance, but there’s a whole other element to it. It’s a petroleum product. It takes very high energy to create it, and in some philosophical way, it doesn’t make sense to electrify mobility by using petroleum products.
Charged: So what’s the advantage of synthetic graphite?
John DeMaio: Synthetic graphite currently swells less than natural graphite during charge/discharge cycles, which is a desirable attribute for longer cycle life.
Charged: How much synthetic is used in a typical anode?
John DeMaio: It can be up to 50 percent of the anode side. In some cases it’s a hundred percent—it really depends on the design from the battery maker. it’s also more expensive than natural graphite. So, more expensive, higher energy use, much higher carbon footprint, and that’s why I think there’s some pressure on the use of synthetic and why we are trying to develop processes and technologies that will enhance the performance of natural graphite so that synthetic is not needed, if possible.
Charged: So a typical anode for an EV battery would use a mix of coated spherical graphite and synthetic graphite. Is there an optimal mix, or do different battery makers use different mixes to achieve different characteristics?
John DeMaio: The latter. Battery manufacturers are constantly looking at different mixes of graphite on the anode side, different configurations on the cathode side, different electrolytes, all those components. They’re looking at every parameter and trying to optimize the performance that they’re after, and quite frankly, the cost. Because most of the vehicle cost is in the battery, as we all know, so it depends if it’s a high-end vehicle versus a more moderately priced vehicle—that will affect battery chemistry and other components as well. So the mix of graphite varies by manufacturer, by car model, etc.
Charged: What about future battery technologies? Solid-state, lithium-sulfur, sodium batteries—would all of these still be using graphite in the anode?
John DeMaio: Some of them will, and we’re looking at all the ones you mentioned. There’s also pre-lithiation of the anode which is kind of preloading it with lithium ions. There’s a lot of things being looked at, and we of course keep our finger on the pulse. We have our own R&D group that looks at these emerging technologies. How do we play a role? Can we contribute to the development? We have over a decade of experience in this arena, so we can work closely with the battery manufacturers to share what we know, and what we can potentially do together in the future to bring some of these technologies to bear if they truly make sense. Sodium batteries, for example, may have great cold-weather performance. We look at all those things, but there’s a long runway for those new technologies to be perfected, tested and ultimately adopted. So, we’re going to continue to stick to our knitting for at least the next decade, while at the same time, working closely with the battery makers as they develop these new technologies.
The largest graphite mine in the world right now is in China, up in the northeast province. Usually it’s a strip mine kind of an operation.
Charged: As you know, supply chains are a hot topic in the industry these days. Can you take me through the typical journey of graphite from the mine to the battery? What processing steps are involved and where do those take place?
John DeMaio: The largest graphite mine in the world right now is in China, up in the northeast province. Usually it’s a strip mine kind of an operation. The first process is crushing and then flotation—that usually happens either right at the mine or very close to the mine, because there is a fair amount of tailings, so you don’t want to be carting that too far.
After they’re done with their concentration, now you have 95% purity of carbon in this material called flake graphite, or concentrate, and that’s the material that companies like ours will purchase for further processing. We bring in the flake graphite, we run it through what’s called a shaping process, which is a series of mills that bring the particles to a shape and size that is desirable for use in battery anodes.
Then we purify it down to 99.95%, and that happens at our plant—we have a plant fairly close to the mine in China, up in Heilongjiang Province near Jixi City. Then at that point, we either sell it as anode material for non-EV applications, or we send it through a second process, also in that same area, for the pitch coating. At the end of the pitch coating process, we have coated purified spherical graphite, which is used by EV battery makers.
Currently almost all of it is consumed by companies in China, as the EV marketplace in China is probably 15 years ahead of the rest of the world.
Charged: So, you’re shipping that material from China to your customers, the battery makers, which are located where?
John DeMaio: Currently almost all of it is consumed by companies in China, as the EV marketplace in China is probably 15 years ahead of the rest of the world. So there’s plenty of absorption there. But, while we’re on the subject of supply chain, we’re developing a plant in Warren, Michigan. What we are doing is creating the same kind of ecosystem that exists in China, where you have the mine, the processing, and the customer base all intramural, let’s call it. There’s no overseas shipping, etc. it’s pretty self-contained from mine to anode.
We here at Graphex and the entire country are now looking to create, as close as we can, a similar ecosystem here, where you have mining, processing and battery manufacturing all in North America. We know that there’s a lot of gigafactories being built in the States now, or that have been announced and are going to be built. That represents the end use. We’re addressing the midstream, the car companies and battery companies are addressing the downstream, and the missing element is the upstream, the mines. Because there really is no graphite mining currently happening in the US.
We’re addressing the midstream, the car companies and battery companies are addressing the downstream, and the missing element is the upstream, the mines. Because there really is no graphite mining currently happening in the US.
So, we are looking to our neighbor to the north—Canada, where there are mining operations that are either currently online or coming online in the near future. That would represent a North American supply chain. We’re looking at mines in Canada, all kinds of mines outside of China. Again, for reasons of logistics, but also because of the geopolitical concerns that we all are aware of. The Inflation Reduction Act requires, to receive the incentives, restrictions on where the critical minerals come from, where they’re processed, etc, so we’re looking at Canada, Brazil, Australia, we’re looking at Southern Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, for alternate sources of the raw material. Unless or until adequate supply gets discovered and unlocked in the US.
Charged: How many years do you think it will take before we have a substantial graphite ecosystem in North America?
John DeMaio: That’s a great question—there’s a lot of projections for mines to come online in the next two or three years. I would say if they hit their targets or maybe even 50% of what they’re anticipating, in three years, by 2025 or 2026, we’ll see appreciable growth in mining output in North America. Will it match demand? That remains to be seen, because the scheduled demand looks to be upwards of 500,000 tons of graphite by, say, 2028. Will there be that much production online in Canada? Probably not. Will there be that much supply coming from other resources that are not China? Hopefully. So, we keep a close eye on mining operations.
Charged: When we last spoke, you said graphite supply is currently adequate, but Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is forecasting significant graphite shortfalls from 2025. Is that still an accurate description of the situation?
John DeMaio: I would say that’s still the case. I just came back from a Benchmark conference a couple weeks ago, and the predominant message was that there’s a lot of effort in the mining sector around the world, but it still looks like it’s going to come up short, assuming that auto sales projections stay [on track].
Charged: And that’s not just the US? The whole world’s going to be short of graphite?
John DeMaio: Except for China. China’s got an enormous resource there. Now, that said, there is a tremendous demand for graphite and all minerals in China itself.
I think the challenge for the industry in terms of graphite is visibility. Car companies and battery companies are looking for visibility from mine to anode, and not just in small quantities or in short-term quantities, but in large quantities for the long term so that they can meet their production goals and projections, and that’s what’s not really that visible.
There is one significant mine in Mozambique that looks like a pretty vast resource, and it is actively being mined, but is that enough, and is it dependable? is there enough processing capacity? There is concern looking forward. If you look at some of the Benchmark materials, they’re calling for, I think, 97 new graphite mines to come online between now and 2030 to keep up with demand, and that’s a tall order.
You’re replacing a hundred years of infrastructure from internal combustion with an EV manufacturing model, and at the same time, trying to domesticate as much of that supply chain as you can.
Charged: You also said that automakers and battery makers need to engage directly with suppliers. Do you see that happening?
John DeMaio: They are, yes. It’s happening. Since we spoke, I would say that that activity has increased. I think it needs to increase even further. I think it’s a shift in the paradigm—it’s a shift in the typical way that automakers have procured materials over the last decades and century. We’ve got two things happening at the same time: you’ve got a shift to EVs for one, but at the same time, now you’ve got a desire and not quite a mandate, but close to it, to domesticate as well. So, you’re replacing a hundred years of infrastructure from internal combustion with an EV manufacturing model, and at the same time, trying to domesticate as much of that supply chain as you can.
The car manufacturers and the battery makers have got to get down into the weeds with us and work together to achieve that mine-to-anode kind of continuity, and we represent a big chunk of that, which is where the transformation of graphite dust into anode material happens. We’re a critical component of that ecosystem.
Charged: Any particular companies that you feel are doing a good job in that department?
John DeMaio: I think we’re all trying to finding our way, and it’s not just about finding the raw material. It’s about making sure it’s qualified as usable, and that is a process unto itself. The qualification process to make sure it performs the way the battery chemists and battery engineers want it to—that is a process that just takes time. If you’re the battery engineer, you want to know, is this graphite going to work in my battery? It’s one thing to have it produced in the lab or at pilot scale and then tested to see if it performs. It’s a different thing to have that material run through an actual processing plant which hasn’t been built yet. So there is a little chicken-and-egg that goes on here, and again, we have to work closely together to make it happen.
Right now we can take graphite from the mine in China, process it in China and deliver finished product. That’s not currently what the market really wants. They want non-China material processed in North America, and that ecosystem doesn’t yet exist at full commercial scale, so there has to be some kind of push and pull. If we take, for example, some Canadian graphite, run it through our current process in China, and produce anode material, knowing that when we build the plants here in the States it’s going to be the same technology, so we should get the same result. We’re confident that we can do that. We’ve been doing it for over a decade. And that’s what we’re kind of working through with some of the car companies.
Automakers, their previous mindset was, show me what you produce, and we’ll see if we can use it. But now the industry is saying, look, we’re not going to build multi-billion-dollar plants on speculation.
That’s not just for graphite. Automakers, their previous mindset was, show me what you produce, and we’ll see if we can use it. But now the industry is saying, look, we’re not going to build multi-billion-dollar plants on speculation. We need to figure out a way that there’s hand-in-glove kind of partnerships here, and that’s evolving. So to answer your original question, we’re getting closer to having those conversations.
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