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☆ Exclusive: China's Gotion buys 25% stake in Slovak EV battery startup Inobat
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Chinese battery maker Gotion High Tech (002074.SZ) is buying a 25% stake in Slovak battery maker Inobat and will provide supply chain and technology support as the startup scales up production of electric vehicle batteries, the companies said on Thursday. Inobat said the investment will provide it access to Gotion's research and development, as well as to the Chinese battery maker's raw materials including lithium, and to cell production and recycling capabilities. Gotion said last year that it plans to locate one third of its production capacity outside China by 2025 to meet growing demand from EV makers and energy storage clients. The Chinese battery maker is building a $2.36 billion plant in Michigan and is looking at setting up an EV battery plant in Morocco with a potential investment of up to $6.3 billion. Inobat has signed declarations of intent with the governments of Spain and Serbia to build EV battery plants, though those agreements are not final.

Persons: Inobat, Li Zhen, Northvolt, Gotion, Nick Carey, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Gotion High Tech, Gotion, Volkswagen, Volvo, Reuters, BlackRock, EV, Thomson Locations: Europe, North America, China, Michigan, Morocco, Spain, Serbia

☆ Britain upgrades to also-ran in EV battery race
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Neil Unmack | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is joining the global arms race to secure future industries, but he has a long way to go. Europe may have 25 so-called gigafactories, vast plants that turn raw materials such as lithium into battery packs, by 2025. While both Theresa May and Boris Johnson tried, they failed to win over big global players like Tesla (TSLA.O), Samsung or Northvolt, which preferred European sites. The UK leader can at least now claim he can attract global players. But Tata’s 40 GWh of new capacity brings Britain’s total to just over 50 GWh by 2026, after factoring in the plant operated by China’s Envision in Sunderland.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden’s, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Britishvolt, China’s, Sunak, George Hay, Pranav Kiran, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Tata Group, Honda, Samsung, Tata, Rover, Toyota, The Society of Motor Manufacturers, Traders, Faraday, India’s Tata Group, Thomson Locations: Indian, Somerset, Japanese, Europe, United States, Britain, Sunderland

The new plant is expected to be built in Somerset, south-west England, while Jaguar Land Rover's UK factories are based near Birmingham, central England. With an initial output of 40 gigawatt hours, Britain said the factory would provide almost half of the battery production needed by 2030. The Faraday Institution has projected UK battery demand to reach over 100 GWh a year by that time. "With this strategic investment, the Tata Group further strengthens its commitment to the UK," Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said in the statement. "Almost every car producing nation in the world (is) offering a lot of incentives in order to ensure that they preserve the integrity of their car industry," he said.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, N Chandrasekaran, Mike Hawes, Andy Palmer, Aston Martin, Jeremy Hunt, wouldn't, Alistair Smout, Sarah Young, William James, Paul Sandle, Emma Rumney Organizations: Tata Motors, REUTERS, Danish, India's Tata Group, Rover, Tata, BBC, European Union, Nissan, Rover's, Faraday, Tata Group, EV, BBC Radio, Britain, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, Britain, Spain, Somerset, England, Birmingham, United States, Europe, China, EU

☆ Anglo-French deal could create Europe’s biggest lithium producer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A French minerals company is buying a British startup in a tie-up that could produce enough lithium carbonate to power 500,000 electric vehicles a year. That year is important as Britain is set to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030, forcing manufacturers to switch to electric vehicles. The combination of the new facility and an existing one in France “would make Imerys the largest integrated lithium producer in Europe, representing more than 20% of the announced European lithium output by 2030,” the company said. They will require that 45% of the value of electric vehicles traded between Britain and the European Union are sourced from one of the two regions in order to avoid costly tariffs. The deposit of lithium being developed there is set to be the largest in the country, according to Imerys.

Persons: that’s, Imerys, France “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, European, Peugeot, Fiat, Industry Locations: Hong Kong, Paris, British, Cornwall, England, Britain, France, Europe, European Union, English

☆ Britishvolt deal at risk of collapse over power supply contract - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 31 (Reuters) - Recharge Industries Pty Ltd's attempt to buy the Britishvolt site is at risk of collapsing due to a dispute with administrator EY over a power supply contract signed by the failed battery startup, the Financial Times reported on Friday. Australia-based Recharge Industries and the British accounting firm hit an impasse over payments related to transferring a grid connection contract with the UK's National Grid, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. EY, Britishvolt and Recharge Industries did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Recharge Industries bought Britishvolt's intellectual property for 8.6 million pounds ($10.61 million) last month, but is yet to pay the 9.7 million pounds for the land despite passing of the deadline, the FT report added. ($1 = 0.8108 pounds)Reporting by Rahat Sandhu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia's Recharge Industries buys failed battery firm Britishvolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Australia's Recharge Industries said on Monday it had bought Britishvolt, the collapsed startup which had struggled to fund a major electric vehicle (EV) battery factory in northern England. Recharge Industries, privately owned by New York-based investment fund Scale Facilitation, was selected earlier this month as the preferred bidder for Britishvolt, which had outlined plans for a 3.8 billion pound ($4.54 billion) gigafactory. Britain's ambitions of building a home-grown EV battery industry that can support domestic car production were thrown into doubt when Britishvolt collapsed in January, after failing to raise enough funding for the factory in Cambois. "We have the right plan in place, to match and support the region's energy and ambition to become a major player in the international battery market." Recharge Industries, which is building a lithium-ion cell factory in Australia expected to begin production next year, emerged as Britishvolt's buyer following a bidding process that saw multiple offers.

☆ Lithium Industry Looks to Australia for Refining, Not Just Mining
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese companies refine it into lithium sulfate and then process it into the lithium hydroxide used to make cathodes for batteries. China plays an outsize role in battery production, accounting for 44% of all lithium refining globally and 70% of battery cell production, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Some companies also are building European facilities for the next stage of the process: refining lithium sulfate into lithium hydroxide. Lithium mining projects in Germany and Portugal have emerged, although the permitting process can be complex, particularly if there is local opposition. In the meantime, new processing facilities can be built in three to five years, creating more opportunities for lithium mining companies.

Northvolt's stock market debut would come in an IPO market that has gradually recovered from a major slump in 2022, which was driven by stock market volatility and fears of an economic slowdown. Northvolt has so far raised billions in debt to fund its factory investments, including a $1.1 billion raise last year in convertible notes. Northvolt has used the money from convertible bonds to increase liquidity and ramp up production at its gigafactory in Skelleftea, Sweden. Northvolt has raised about $8 billion in debt and equity to date from a wide range of investors, including Baillie Gifford and Folksam Group. (This story has been corrected to say that Northvolt 'has used the money from convertible bonds', not 'has refinanced its convertible bonds', in paragraph 7)Reporting by Anirban Sen in New York and Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; Editing by Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EY selects Australian battery group as preferred bidder for Britishvolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - Accounting firm EY on Monday said it selected Scale Facilitation Partners and its Australian subsidiary Recharge Industries as the preferred bidder to buy struggling UK startup Britishvolt out of administration. EY's restructuring arm EY-Parthenon were appointed administrators of Britishvolt in January after the company struggled to raise funds for a major electric vehicle battery factory in northern England and stay afloat. The deal was expected to be completed within the next seven days, EY said in a statement on Monday. Britishvolt, Recharge Industries and Scale Facilitation did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Britishvolt has been in talks with a consortium of investors about selling a majority stake in the company, the company said earlier this month, without disclosing any names.

☆ Why Silicon Valleys massive layoffs haven't hit Detroit automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Nora Naughton | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The auto industry could benefit from tech layoffs. But the auto industry doesn't need to undergo massive cuts — mostly because they already have over the past few years. Tech companies, meanwhile, had enjoyed a decade of unmitigated growth thanks to low interest rates and a flood of new investor money. "Legacy auto is underpopulated in order to fully go after the future of mobility — primarily, electrification, batteries, and software." The auto industry could benefit from tech layoffsWhile tech sheds thousands of jobs, automakers are desperate for workers.

☆ Tech giants have cut tens of thousands of jobs. Automakers are ready to hire them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Nora Naughton | Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But the auto industry doesn't need to undergo massive cuts — mostly because they already have over the past few years. Tech companies, meanwhile, had enjoyed a decade of unmitigated growth thanks to low interest rates and a floor of new investor money. As these companies enter a new phase and a different economy, the tech industry is experiencing its first real belt-tightening. The auto industry could benefit from tech layoffsWhile tech sheds thousands of jobs, automakers are desperate for workers. "The war for talent in the automotive industry is still raging and the talent pool is still relatively small."

☆ UK car production is at its weakest since 1956. And the industry is losing the EV race
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —UK car manufacturing hit a 66-year low in 2022, as the closure of two plants, a global shortage of semiconductors and the effect of Covid lockdowns in China on auto supply chains crippled output. “The relationship between the UK and the EU, especially as you electrify, is still fundamental to the success of UK car manufacturing,” he said. UK factories made a record 234,066 electric vehicles in 2022, almost a third of all UK car production. Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Motors (TTM), are also positive about the prospects for electric vehicle manufacturing in the United Kingdom. “Our continued investment in our UK facilities … will herald an exciting new era of electric car production in the UK,” the company said.

☆ Exclusive: Geely plans to turn maker of London black cabs into EV powerhouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Geely will make consistent investments into LEVC because this is a very unique project." Nan said LEVC and Geely would seek to attract other investors to its zero-emission portfolio and would look to partner with other carmakers to develop new technology. "Geely fully supports the new transition strategy laid out by LEVC's board and executive team," Geely said in a statement. As such, Geely faces a complexity that larger EV makers BYD (002594.SZ) and Tesla (TSLA.O) have avoided. Allen said LEVC was exploring a range of commercial and passenger car models on a common electric platform.

☆ Battery startup Britishvolt asks court to appoint administrators
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - UK electric vehicle (EV) battery startup Britishvolt, which has struggled to raise funds for a large factory in northern England has made an application to appoint administrators, a court document showed on Tuesday. Britishvolt had been in talks with potential buyers, including some of its early investors, after securing a short-term funding lifeline in November to help keep it afloat. But by the summer, Britishvolt had only raised around 200 million pounds and had pushed back its production timeline. Britishvolt had received backing from mining giant Glencore (GLEN.L), which kicked off a funding round for the startup last February. ($1 = 0.8189 pounds)Reporting by Michael Holden, Sachin Ravikumar and Nick Carey, Editing by Kylie MacLellan and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UK’s giga fail is economic not environmental
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The collapse of a key battery manufacturer probably doesn’t compromise the government’s plan for the country to switch to electric vehicles. Its failure, however, knocks some 30 gigawatt hours out of Britain’s future battery manufacturing industry, over half of Britain’s forecast capacity by 2030 according to the Faraday Institution. The government’s plans to phase out new sales of internal combustion engines by 2030 can probably survive, thanks to imports from the likes of China’s BYD (002594.SZ), (1211.HK). But boosting battery production for a domestic industry will be hard, given Britain’s lack of raw materials and trade barriers with Europe. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Britishvolt in talks with investors about possible sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - UK battery startup Britishvolt said on Monday it is in talks with a consortium of investors about selling a majority stake in the company, but did not disclose any names. The company said back in November that it had received short-term financial backing to help it stay afloat. Britishvolt had received backing from mining group Glencore (GLEN.L), which kicked off a funding round for the startup last February. But as of last summer, Britishvolt said it had only raised around 200 million pounds and pushed back its production timeline citing "difficult external economic headwinds." Auto industry executives have said that without local battery production, much of Britain's car industry could shift overseas.

☆ Inside climate tech's record-breaking year where the energy crisis, new regulation, and a maturing debt market helped European startups raise $17.5 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Climate tech was a clear green shoot in a tumultuous 2022 but there will be a delayed correction. But there has been one green shoot: Climate tech. "We've just gotten started when it comes to climate tech," Emitwise's Cozzi said. Many climate tech companies have raised at high valuations, said Magda Lukaszewicz, principal at Balderton Capital. Energy and infrastructure companies are tipped as winners, while pure software plays may see some consolidation, climate tech investors and founders said.

It wants 3.8 billion pounds ($4.4 billion) to build a gigafactory in northern England but its plans are hanging by a thread as it struggles to lure enough investment. French battery startup Verkor, for example, announced on Wednesday that it had raised 250 million euros ($249 million) to fund a megafactory. The European Battery Alliance (EBA) acknowledges Asian firms, and Chinese companies in particular, are likely to increase their market share in the coming years, helped by their track record and offtake agreements. "Even if we have the production in Europe, it doesn't mean we have the know-how or the control," she said. The EU has approved 6.1 billion euros since 2019 in funding by member states for battery research and innovation while Britain has a 1 billion pound fund to support investments in EV supply chains.

☆ EV battery firm Britishvolt averts immediate collapse with short-term funding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — U.K.-based electric vehicle battery firm Britishvolt said Wednesday it had secured short-term funding, a move that will enable it to stave off administration for the time being. The company said its employees had also agreed to a pay cut for November. "In addition, we have also received promising approaches from several more international investors in the past few days." "The result is we have now secured the necessary near-term investment that we believe enables us to bridge over the coming weeks to a more secure funding position for the future." "To further reduce our near-term costs, our dedicated employee team has also voluntarily agreed to a temporary salary reduction for the month of November."

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