bmw

Korean-German partners launch ‘sustainable cobalt’ project in DRC

South Korean firms Samsung SDI and Samsung Electronics are teaming up with German car giant BMW and chemicals group BASF for a joint pilot cobalt mining project to “enhance sustainable mining” for batteries production.

The companies have signed a contract with the German overseas development support agency— Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)— to launch the pilot in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

samsung

bmw

basf

mining

cobalt

Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Battery system coupled with wind farm to aid research

A new lithium-ion battery energy storage facility connected to a wind farm in northern Germany has started operations as part of a research programme.

The BESS, connected to the Curslack wind farm, comprises 24 second life batteries originating from BMW electric vehicles.

The facility provides 720 kilowatts of output and 792 kilowatt-hours of storage capacity and is integrated with five wind turbines to “enable practical research to be conducted into the possibilities for the system integration of renewable energies”.

wind-plus-storage

renewable energy

storage

battery energy storage

bmw

EV batteries

BMW, Northvolt and Umicore join forces for cells recycling

The BMW Group has formed a joint technology consortium with Swedish lithium-ion start-up Northvolt and Belgium-based materials tech giant Umicore, to develop a “complete and sustainable value chain for battery cells for EVs in Europe”.

This announcement comes just weeks after BMW placed a “billion euro” order for EV batteries from China, saying that they “can’t wait” for Europe to build a battery cells industry.

The consortium’s main aim is to establish a closed life cycle loop for batteries to make battery cells sustainable. The partners said this would be achieved by creating a recyclable cell design and manufacturing process that uses mostly renewable energy.

BMW to take full control of Chinese JV Brilliance

The BMW Group is set to take control of its Chinese joint venture brand, BMW Brilliance Automotive, whose portfolio includes a lithium-ion battery production plant to power the German car firm’s fully-electric BMW iX3 model.

BMW intends to increase its stake in Brilliance from 50% to 75% under a deal announced by the partners on 11 October— subject to various regulatory and shareholder approvals.

In a related move, BMW and its joint venture partner Brilliance Auto announced an investment of more than €3 billion “in new and existing plant structures in Shenyang over the coming years”.

bmw

BMW Brilliance Automotive

Brilliance Auto. lithium-ion batteries

iX3

Solid Power ‘to scale-up’ with investments boost

The venture capital arm of Belgium-based battery materials firm Solvay has made an equity investment in US-headquartered next-generation solid-state batteries developer Solid Power.

Solvay Ventures’ move came after Solid Power announced it had generated US$20 million in a Series A investment round, which drew funding from companies including Samsung, Hyundai cradle, Sanoh, and A123 Systems.

German firms warn US in new Trump trade tirade

German auto firms have indicated they could pull the plug on new investments in battery manufacturing and related facilities in the US if they are forced to pay increased tariffs under a “national security” review.

The warning came after the Trump administration launched an investigation that could pave they way for new tariffs to be slapped on automotive products from Europe, Japan and South Korea.

Bernhard Mattes

German Association of the Automotive Industry

daimler

bmw

batteries

BMW batteries deal with CAT short-circuits EU

BMW has placed a “billion euro” order for electric vehicle batteries from China— because the firm ‘can’t wait’ for Europe to build a battery cells industry, according to its chairman.

Harald Krüger’s (pictured) announcement of a deal with Chinese lithium battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) is the clearest signal yet that Germany could break ranks with the EU over plans to create a European Batteries Alliance to compete with Asia.

bmw

Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL)

EU Batteries Alliance

BMW joint venture expands China batteries plant

The Chinese joint venture brand of German car giant BMW, BMW Brilliance, is expanding the battery factory it opened in China just seven months ago.

The joint venture— the Chinese partner of which is carmaker Brilliance Auto— broke ground for the second phase “comprehensive expansion” project on 28 May.

Solid-state batteries “game-changer” for EVs report

Solid-state batteries are expected to be a “game changer” for the electric vehicle industry, according to a new report.

The batteries are set to open up “significant growth opportunities for future battery chemistries due to manufacturers’ claims of an energy density 2.5 times higher than lithium-ion batteries”, said market analysts Frost & Sullivan.

solid-state batteries

BMW to sign 10-year cobalt and lithium supply contracts

Germany’s BMW Group is set to sign 10-year contracts to secure supplies of cobalt and lithium for production of electric vehicle batteries, the auto giant has told BBB.

A BMW spokesperson confirmed contracts would be signed with more than one supplier “in the near future”— but declined to name the firms involved.