Industry news

Chinese carmaker BAIC Group and US-owned Chinese battery firm Funeng Technology (Ganzhou) are to invest a total of CNY10 billion ($1.2bn) to launch a batteries plant for new energy vehicles in Shunyi, Bejing.

Israeli start-up StoreDot has raised a further $60 million to support the scaling-up of its electric vehicle (EV) fast-charge FlashBattery technology in a third round of funding led by the truck division of Germany’s Daimler.

New analysis indicates that earlier studies into lead absorption levels of workers in the battery industry “likely overestimated” the rates of absorption.

Volkswagen has announced plans to invest more than EUR50 billion ($60bn) in battery cells and related technology, towards the electrification of its entire model portfolio by 2030 “at the latest”.

South Korea is backing plans by the country’s battery giants to inject a total of KRW2.3 trillion ($2.3 billion) into the sector over the next three years, to expand production and challenge China’s increasing dominance of the market.

The lead-acid business in India is set to soar over the next few years and demand from stationary and motive applications (SMA) will more than double in value, according to a new report.

Researchers in Japan say they have identified new solid materials that could lead to the production of “potentially-safer” lithium-ion batteries.

The US arm of Germany-based power group E.ON has started building two additional lithium-ion battery storage facilities in the US— co-located at the company’s Pyron and Inadale wind farms in West Texas.

Swiss watchmaker Swatch expects to get the green light for its newly-developed car batteries to be used in electric vehicles made by Chinese automaker and joint-venture partner Geely next year, according to a report.

Maritime energy storage firm Corvus Energy is to supply its lithium-ion battery storage products to Norwegian maritime electronics firm, Elmarin AS, for three new fishing vessels with battery-based hybrid propulsion.