Author: Nathan Reed

CATL has received the World Economic Forum’s 2026 MINDS Award for its artificial intelligence-based battery design platform, recognising the company’s use of physics-informed machine learning to accelerate lithium-ion battery development, the WEF said. The award, part of the WEF’s Meaningful, Intelligent, Novel, Deployable Solutions (MINDS) programme, was granted to CATL’s project titled “Augmented Intelligence Leading Next-Generation Lithium-ion Battery Design.” Only 15 organisations worldwide were selected for the 2026 cohort, which evaluates AI initiatives across strategy, talent, data, technology and governance. See also: CATL to Start Using Sodium-Ion Batteries in Passenger Cars as Early as Q2 According to the WEF, CATL’s…

German deep-tech startup Pulsetrain said it is working with automotive supplier Yazaki to bring a new battery architecture based on so-called multilevel technology closer to series production, as automakers seek more efficient and compact electric vehicle systems. The two companies are jointly developing an intelligent “MultiCellBridge,” which integrates functions such as cell management, inverters and charging units directly into the battery system. Pulsetrain said the partners aim to demonstrate industrial feasibility through a proof of concept. “As part of a proof of concept, the partners aim to demonstrate the industrial feasibility of this key technology—to significantly enhance the efficiency, safety,…

CATL expects to begin deploying sodium-ion batteries in passenger vehicles as early as the second quarter, marking a significant step toward large-scale commercial adoption of the technology, the company’s chief technology officer said. “The first passenger vehicle equipped with sodium-ion batteries will come from GAC Aion,” CATL CTO Gao Huan told China Securities Journal in an interview published on Thursday. “As production capacity expands, sodium-ion batteries will gradually scale up for passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, energy storage, and even construction machinery.” See also: China Regulator Probes Ronbay After CATL Supply Deal Announcement CATL, formally known as Contemporary Amperex Technology Co…

CATL has launched a sodium-ion battery designed for light commercial vehicles, marking its first major step this year toward large-scale adoption of the alternative battery chemistry, as the world’s largest battery maker looks to reduce costs and improve performance in extreme climates. The company unveiled its new Tectrans II series of power batteries on Thursday, positioning the range primarily for light commercial vehicle applications such as small vans and micro trucks. A low-temperature variant within the series uses sodium-ion technology, which CATL said is the industry’s first mass-produced sodium-ion battery specifically developed for light commercial vehicles. The sodium-ion battery pack…

Octillion Power Systems said it produced a record 3,653 electric vehicle battery systems in a single day on Dec. 3, 2025, representing around 114 megawatt-hours of energy capacity across its global manufacturing network. The output was achieved across nine production facilities located in the United States, India and China, underscoring the company’s strategy of localized manufacturing aligned with original equipment manufacturer demand. The battery systems support a range of vehicle applications, including passenger cars, trucks, buses and commercial vehicles. “For Octillion to surpass 3,650 battery systems produced in a single day is a momentous achievement,” said Paul Beach, global president…

A circular economy approach to electric vehicle batteries could help avert looming shortages of critical minerals and curb sharp price increases for consumers, according to a new report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The report, titled “Leading the Charge – Turning risk into reward with a circular economy for EV batteries and critical minerals,” was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos and outlines five priorities aimed at reshaping how batteries are designed, used and recovered across their lifecycle. The Foundation warned that supply shortfalls in key battery materials are likely to emerge by the mid-2030s, potentially driving…

Connected Energy, a British specialist in stationary energy storage systems using second-life electric vehicle batteries, plans to invest £2 million in a new testing centre for used EV batteries in eastern England, the company said. The facility will be built at Scottow Enterprise Park in Norfolk, close to Connected Energy’s existing technical centre, and is expected to become operational by mid-2026. The project is supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK as part of a broader initiative to strengthen reuse and recycling pathways for electric vehicle batteries. Connected Energy focuses on repurposing retired EV batteries for grid-connected battery energy storage…

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said China will require electric vehicles to retain their power batteries when they are scrapped, as authorities move to tighten oversight of battery recycling amid a surge in retired batteries from the fast-growing EV sector. The requirement was outlined in a policy document released on Friday by six government departments, including MIIT, and will take effect on April 1, 2026. The rules are intended to prevent discarded power batteries from entering informal or unregulated recycling channels. See also: China’s Hylic Starts Operations at Liquid-Solid State Battery Factory in Jiangsu Under the new regulations,…

China’s first factory dedicated to the mass production of liquid-solid state batteries by Hylic has begun operations in Jiangsu province in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking a milestone in the commercialization of next-generation battery technology. Hylic, formally known as Heyuan Lithium Innovation, was founded in January 2023 and is headquartered in Suzhou. The company focuses on the research, development, production and sales of solid-state lithium-ion batteries for applications including energy storage systems, power batteries and household appliances. See also: Hongqi Tests Solid-State Battery Prototype in First Vehicle Milestone In December 2023, Hylic signed a project agreement with the local…

Belgian research and materials company Syensqo and French energy firm Axens have formed a joint venture, Argylium, to develop and scale materials for solid-state batteries, aiming to bolster Europe’s battery value chain for next-generation energy storage. Argylium will focus on sulphide-based materials designed exclusively for all-solid-state batteries, which eliminate liquid electrolytes in favour of solid, ion-conducting components. Solid-state batteries are widely seen as a key future technology due to their potential for higher energy density, faster charging, longer driving range and improved safety compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries. See also: Volkswagen Battery Unit PowerCo Signs Conductive Materials Supply Deal With…

Volkswagen’s battery subsidiary PowerCo has signed a multi-year supply agreement with U.S. specialty chemicals maker Cabot, under which Cabot will provide conductive carbon materials and dispersions for PowerCo’s battery electrodes, the companies said. The deal will see Cabot’s conductive additives used to improve the conductivity and efficiency of batteries produced by PowerCo, which is building a European battery manufacturing footprint to support Volkswagen Group’s electric vehicle strategy. Financial terms, order volumes and the duration of the agreement were not disclosed. See also: Volkswagen’s PowerCo Starts Battery Cell Production at Salzgitter Gigafactory Cabot described the agreement as a “significant milestone” in…

Hongqi, the premium automotive brand of China FAW Group, has introduced its first prototype vehicle equipped with an all-solid-state battery, marking a milestone in its efforts to advance next-generation battery technology toward mass production, the company said on Thursday. The all-solid-state battery pack, developed by Hongqi’s research and development headquarters, was installed on Dec. 31 in a Hongqi Tiangong 06 prototype vehicle, enabling the brand to begin real-vehicle testing of the technology. The company did not disclose details on the battery’s energy density or the vehicle’s driving range. See also: Baidu Robotaxi Falls Into Construction Pit in Chongqing, Passenger Unhu…