Author: Andrew Holloway

Twaice has secured a €24 million funding commitment from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to accelerate its expansion into battery energy storage systems (BESS), as demand for stationary storage rises alongside the growth of renewable energy. The financing takes the form of a long-term loan backed by the InvestEU programme and is aimed at supporting Twaice’s growth beyond its original focus on electric vehicle batteries. Founded in 2018, the Munich-based company developed predictive analytics software that assesses battery health, forecasts remaining lifespan and detects degradation. Its early customer base included automakers such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz. See also: Fraunhofer Spin-Off…

German startup Syvairo, a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production (FFB), has developed a microclimate-controlled transport system designed to significantly reduce energy use in battery cell manufacturing, as Europe seeks to strengthen its competitiveness in the global battery industry. Battery cell production requires extremely dry and clean environments, often maintained through large-scale clean and dry rooms with dew points reaching minus 60 degrees Celsius. According to Fraunhofer FFB, air conditioning alone can account for around one-third of total battery cell production costs, making it a major cost and energy burden for manufacturers. See also: Fraunhofer FFB…

Ford Motor is in discussions with Chinese electric vehicle and battery maker BYD over a potential partnership to supply batteries for hybrid vehicles, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. If an agreement is reached, Ford would likely source batteries from BYD for production at plants outside the United States, the report said. The talks are ongoing and no final agreement has been reached, with sources cautioning that the discussions could still fall through. See also: Ford CEO Says $30,000 EV Prototypes Running on Skunkworks Platform Under the proposed arrangement, BYD would supply batteries…

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), the world’s largest power battery manufacturer, has secured a long-term supply of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials through a record agreement and announced a new investment in a lithium supplier, as it moves to lock in critical raw materials amid rising prices. Shanghai-listed Ningbo Ronbay New Energy Technology said on Tuesday that it had signed an LFP cathode material supply agreement with CATL covering the period from the first quarter of 2026 through 2031. Under the deal, Ronbay expects to supply around 3.05 million tonnes of LFP cathode material, generating sales of more…

Irizar e-mobility, public transport operator EMT Madrid and Iberdrola España have launched a pilot project to reuse electric bus batteries in a stationary energy storage system at EMT’s Fuencarral depot, as part of efforts to improve charging efficiency and extend battery lifecycles. The project involves a container-based static storage unit that integrates second-life batteries previously used in Irizar e-mobility electric buses. While the batteries no longer meet the capacity requirements for vehicle operation, the partners said they remain suitable for stationary energy storage applications. See also: Voltfang Partners With Palladio To Invest €250 Million In Large-Scale Battery Storage The system…

China’s industry ministry has issued a fresh warning to battery manufacturers, urging them to rein in capacity expansion and address growing risks of overcapacity across the electric vehicle and energy storage sectors, underscoring rising concern in Beijing over disorderly competition and weakening profitability. In a statement released on Thursday following a meeting earlier in the week, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said it had called on battery makers to optimise industry capacity, regulate competitive behaviour and strengthen oversight across the EV and energy storage battery supply chain. The statement was published on the ministry’s official WeChat account.…

Global electric vehicle battery usage reached 1,046 gigawatt-hours between January and November, rising 32.6% from a year earlier, driven by continued growth in EV sales and sustained dominance by Chinese battery makers, data released on Wednesday by South Korean market research firm SNE Research showed. China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) retained its position as the world’s largest EV battery supplier, with installations totaling 400 GWh during the period, up 34.5% from 297.4 GWh a year earlier. CATL accounted for 38.2% of global EV battery usage, making it the only supplier worldwide with a market share above 30%. See…

Donut Lab said it has unveiled a solid-state battery that is now available for original equipment manufacturers, with deployment planned across all 2026 models of Verge Motorcycles from the first quarter of next year. The Finnish technology company said the battery can be fully charged in five minutes and will be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which opens on Jan. 6, 2026. Donut Lab said the new battery has an energy density of 400 watt-hours per kilogram and described it as ready for use in production vehicles. See also: Donut Lab, WATT EV Partner on In-Wheel…

Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has approved around €170 million in funding to support seven industrial transformation projects in former coal regions, targeting battery cell production, recycling and energy storage technologies as part of the country’s economic transition. The ministry said the funding is expected to trigger total investments of about €600 million and help create around 600 direct industrial jobs, along with up to 3,000 additional positions across upstream and downstream supply chains. “Both small and large companies are actively driving the industrial transformation of the coal regions through these and four additional projects,” the ministry…

U.S. solid-state battery developer QuantumScape said it has signed a new development agreement with a top-10 global automaker, marking a further step in its efforts to bring solid-state battery technology into future electric vehicles, though the customer’s identity has not been disclosed. The California-based company said the collaboration has been formalised through a joint development agreement (JDA), under which QuantumScape’s solid-state batteries will be evaluated and integrated into the automaker’s future vehicle programmes. In its latest annual review, QuantumScape described the deal as one of its most significant milestones of 2025, adding that it has signed another JDA this year…

German battery manufacturer CustomCells said it is realigning its business to focus on defence applications and motorsport, following its rescue by an investor consortium and the completion of key restructuring measures after insolvency proceedings. The company said its new managing directors, Benno Leuthner as chief executive and Jan Diekmann as chief technology officer, have formally taken up their roles, marking what CustomCells described as a fresh start with a “significantly sharpened strategic focus”. See also: CustomCells Secures Rescue Deal With Abacon-Led Consortium, Shifts Focus to E-Mobility Under the new strategy, CustomCells will prioritise customised battery solutions for defence customers and…

Shares of LG Energy Solution fell as much as 7.6% in morning trade on Thursday after the South Korean battery maker said Ford Motor had cancelled an electric vehicle battery supply agreement, underscoring growing uncertainty around global EV demand. LG Energy Solution said in a regulatory filing that Ford terminated the contracts after deciding to halt production of some electric vehicle models, citing policy changes and a weaker outlook for EV adoption. The decision reflects broader adjustments by Ford in response to shifts under the Trump administration and slower-than-expected growth in battery-electric vehicle sales. The battery maker said it had…