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☆ Solid-state batteries may yet catch up — but silicon anodes are winning the race to power EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Silicon anodes vs. solid-state batteriesAnalysts say silicon anodes theoretically offer 10 times the energy density as graphite, which are commonly used in battery anodes today. Silicon anodes, for example, are known to swell significantly during charging, which reduces the battery's longevity. Especially in the West, advances in the area of silicon anodes [are] seen as strategic opportunity to catch up with China. Nonetheless, analysts remain skeptical about when solid-state batteries will actually make it to market. "However, there are significant technical challenges going to 100% silicon anode such as silicon expansion affecting the longevity of the batteries and currently there are several routes to produce silicon anodes," he added.

Persons: IDTechEx, carmakers, Venkat Srinivasan, Srinivasan, hasn't, Rory McNulty, McNulty, Georgi Georgiev, Georgiev, Taiwan's, Sila Nanotechnologies Organizations: Parc des, Chesnot, Getty, Mercedes, Porsche, GM, Center for Energy Storage Science, government's, government's Argonne National Laboratory, CNBC, EV, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Bloomberg, Fastmarkets, Toyota, Nissan, China's SAIC Motor Corp, ProLogium, Paris Locations: Parc, Paris, France, government's Argonne, Chicago, Siheung, South Korea, West, China, U.S

☆ First funding tranche for Verkor battery gigafactory near complete- co-founder
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Gilles Guillaume | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Verkor should complete the first tranche of fundraising for its future battery gigafactory in Dunkirk, France, in the coming weeks, co-founder and chief customer officer Philippe Chain told Reuters. The Grenoble-based startup's gigafactory is one of four electric vehicle battery factories planned in northern France. Verkor has already raised around 350 million euros, mainly for a new innovation centre, a pilot production line already in operation and a "battery school" to train future employees. Construction of the gigafactory has begun and it will have an initial annual production capacity of 16 gigawatt hours (GWh) - including 12 for Renault (RENA.PA), which owns more than 20% of Verkor. Taiwan's ProLogium also plans a gigafactory in Dunkirk with a capacity of 30 GWh in 2030.

Persons: Philippe Chain, Verkor, Taiwan's ProLogium, Nick Carey, Gilles Guillaume, David Evans Organizations: European Union, Renault, Automotive Cells Company, ACC, Mercedes, TotalEnergies, Thomson Locations: Dunkirk, France, Munich, Grenoble

☆ Explainer: How could solid-state batteries improve next-gen EVs?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Solid-state batteries have been used in small electronic devices such as pacemakers and smart watches. Solid-state batteries can hold more energy than liquid lithium-ion batteries, a gain that would potentially speed the transition to EVs by addressing a consumer concern: range. That has made solid-state batteries far more expensive than liquid lithium-ion batteries. Honda is developing solid-state batteries but has not detailed a timeline for bringing them to market. Hyundai Motor (005380.KS), another Solid Power investor, has said it plans to mass produce solid-state batteries by 2030.

Persons: Tesla, Bill Gates, Tim Kelly, Sayantani Ghosh, Kevin Krolicki, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Toyota, Reuters, Tesla, Panasonic, Nissan, Honda, Volkswagen, Automotive Cells Co, Mercedes, Benz, ProLogium Technology, Ford, BMW, Hyundai, Solid Power, EV, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, SINGAPORE, U.S, Taiwan

☆ Prologium CEO: Working with France to determine battery project subsidies
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TAIPEI, June 9 (Reuters) - Taiwanese electric vehicle battery maker ProLogium is working with the French government to determine the total amount of subsidies for its project in the north of France, Prologium's CEO said on Friday. Vincent Yang told reporters in Taipei that the parties were in the final phase of talks and that he expected a joint announcement by the end of this year. He also said there would be many sources of funding including loans, equity, and investment from automakers. Reporting by Faith Hung in Taipei; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vincent Yang, Faith Hung, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, France, Taipei

"We'll make your life easier and help you set up shop here," he told ProLogium's Chief Executive Vincent Yang. It is one of four such gigafactories Macron hopes will transform the poor, former coal mining area near Belgium into a hub for the EV battery industry, creating jobs and helping to put France at the forefront of Europe's energy transition. "Results don't just fall from the sky," Macron told Reuters in Dunkirk. At the moment, however, France lags well behind Germany when it comes to attracting battery makers. Still, the IRA almost threw ProLogium's investment in France off course, one French presidential adviser told Reuters.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Vincent Yang, Ludovic Marin, Taiwan's ProLogium, Macron, Yang, ProLogium, we've, it's, ACC's, Heiner Heimes, Stellantis, Mercedes, Ola Kaellenius, Marc Mortureux, We're, GUY, Xavier Bertrand, ProLogium's Yang, Fabien Roussel, Leigh Thomas, Michel Rose, Silvia Aloisi, David Clarke Organizations: Business, EV, Macron, ACC, Mercedes, Reuters, RWTH Aachen University, Automotive Cells Company, Franco, Benz Group, EU, PFA French, U.S . IRA, French Communist Party, Thomson Locations: of Versailles, Paris, France, Versailles, Dunkirk, Germany, Netherlands, Taiwan, Belgium, EUROPE, Korean, United States, Europe, French, Hungary, Italy, Brussels, Washington

☆ Factbox: Companies invest in EV battery factories in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Below are recent investments announced by companies:GERMANYSweden's Northvolt said on May 13 it will invest 3-5 billion euros ($3.3-5.5 billion) in an EV battery plant in Heide in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein as long as subsidies are approved. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to build six battery factories in Europe totalling 240 gigawatt (GWh) of capacity by 2030. Production at its first battery plant, "SalzGiga", in Salzgitter in the Lower Saxony region will start in 2025. Slovakian battery manufacturer InoBat said last October it had signed a declaration of intent with the Spanish government to set up an EV battery factory in central Spain's city Valladolid, expected to cost 3 billion euros. POLANDLG Chem EV battery in Wroclaw started production in the second half of 2017, with a capacity of 100,000 batteries per year.

Persons: Helena Soderpalm, GERMANY Sweden's Northvolt, China's CATL, Germany's, Mercedes Benz, Elon Musk, Berclau, Taiwan's ProLogium, Jean, Luc Monfort, Mata, BASQUEVOLT, InoBat, China's BYD, AEHRA, Poland's, Alessandro Parodi, Tiago Brandao, Matteo Allievi, Barbara Lewis, Milla Nissi Organizations: REUTERS, Volkswagen, EV, Germany's BASF, Automotive Cells Company, ACC, Stellantis, Tesla, FRANCE Joint, France, Renault, Basque Country, Spanish, India's Tata Group, ITALY Joint, POLAND LG, European Commission, SWEDEN Northvolt's Skelleftea, Thomson Locations: Vasteras, Sweden, Europe, Asia, United States, GERMANY, Heide, Schleswig, Holstein, Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, China, Erfurt, Thuringia, Schwarzheide, Brandenburg ., Ludwigsfelde, Berlin, Kaiserslautern, Rhineland, Palatinate, Gigafactory, FRANCE, Billy, France, Dunkirk, Douai, Ruitz, Ergué, Quimper, Montreal, SPAIN Spain, Europe's, Germany, Navalmoral de, Extremadura, Sagunto, Valencia, Spain, Basque, Slovakian, Spain's, Valladolid, Britain, ITALY, Termoli, POLAND, Wroclaw, HUNGARY

☆ France inaugurates first of four gigafactories in the north
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire visits the gigafactory of Automotive Cells Company (ACC), a joint venture of Stellantis, TotalEnergies and Mercedes, during its inauguration in Billy-Berclau-Douvrin, northern France, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/PoolBILLY-BERCLAU, France, May 30 (Reuters) - France will inaugurate on Tuesday a battery-making gigafactory, the first of four such plants European and Asian companies plan to build in the north of the country. It highlights the race between European governments to attract global car makers as they seek to bring the supply of components for electric vehicles closer to their main markets. French President Emmanuel Macron, who personally lobbied to secure at least one the gigafactories in the Dunkirk region, has set a production target of 2 million electric vehicles made in France by 2030. ($1 = 0.9084 euros)Reporting by Gilles Guillaume, writing by Silvia Aloisi; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Here's the latest:ELECTRIC VEHICLE FRICTIONBiden's domestic policy is embodied in working to electrify roadways across the United States. Getting more electric vehicles on the roads is central to his climate change agenda, ensuring the vehicles are "Made in America" is part of his commitment to restore manufacturing jobs. But the IRA's consumer tax credits are tightly linked to the cars' and batteries being made in the U.S., roiling allies in Europe and Asia whose companies sell into U.S. markets. Instead, Japanese and U.S. officials struck a trade deal on electric vehicle battery minerals that expands eligibility for the $7,500 per vehicle EV tax credits in the IRA. NEW RACE FOR SUBSIDIESThe promise of corporate tax credits has renewed interest in investing in the U.S., and Europe has responded with subsidies of their own.

☆ Elon Musk to meet Macron, other leaders at France conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, May 15 (Reuters) - Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and other political leaders on Monday at a business conference close to Paris, the Elysee Palace said, confirming earlier media reports. Musk, the CEO of Tesla (TSLA.O) who bought social network Twitter in a $44 billion deal last year, will meet Macron at the palace before attending lunch with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, the finance ministry told Reuters. Musk will also visit the sixth edition of the annual "Choose France" summit in Versailles, aimed at boosting international investment in France. Le Maire told BFM TV that the talks between the government and Musk would cover several topics, including electric cars. Asked by BFM TV if any announcement was likely, Le Maire said "all investments that are being made today are the result of months or even years of negotiations."

Both plants will start production in 2026, employ thousands of people and supply batteries to European car makers. With Taiwan a focal point in tensions between Washington and Beijing, the company also wanted to secure a base overseas. Volkswagen was expected to announce a battery plant location in Europe late last year but said in March it is awaiting more clarity from Europe on subsidies before making a decision. The plant by Taiwan's ProLogium would be its first overseas car battery factory. A second plant could also be constructed in parallel elsewhere, a Northvolt spokesperson said, including in North America.

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