The United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), part of the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR), has announced nine requests for proposal information (RFPIs) to advance EV battery cell technology.
Issued under a cooperative agreement worth nearly $90 million with the U.S. Department of Energy, including $60 million in federal funding, the initiative seeks developers capable of meeting USABC’s commercialisation targets and strengthening supply chain localisation.
The nine RFPIs cover a broad spectrum of EV battery innovation:
- Advanced Batteries for EV Applications to meet commercialisation targets for traction cells.
- Advanced High Energy Batteries for EV Applications with a focus on high energy density.
- Earth Abundant Material-Based/Low-Cost Batteries for EV Applications, prioritising reduced reliance on critical materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt or graphite.
- Active Materials for Cells in Automotive Applications to support traction technologies.
- Battery Separators for EV Applications, aiming to enhance performance and safety beyond current baselines.
- Electrolytes for Automotive Cells, aligned with USABC’s commercialisation targets.
- Supply Chain R&D for Inactive Materials, improving resilience and performance in EV battery designs.
- Battery Recycling and Enabling Technologies, securing material supply chains through advanced recycling.
- Evaluation of Prototype Cell Fabricators, establishing a list of capable producers for USABC testing.
USABC requires all submissions to include demonstration hardware and test results. Developers must show potential for commercially viable, high-volume production with engineering and testing support.
The deadline for submissions is 28 February 2026 and full details are available on the USABC website.
