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Factbox-Electric car battery showdown brews in West

By:
Reuters
Updated: Apr 27, 2022, 22:36 UTC

(Reuters) - Several companies plan to open production facilities for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries or components in North America and Europe by 2025, as the alternative to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cells begins to take root outside China. Main story:

Two Aries lithium iron phosphate battery packs are seen waiting to undergo testing at Our Next Energy headquarters in Novi

(Reuters) – Several companies plan to open production facilities for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries or components in North America and Europe by 2025, as the alternative to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cells begins to take root outside China. Main story:

Here are some runners and riders:

OUR NEXT ENERGY (ONE)

Headquarters: Novi, Michigan

Founded: 2020

Status: Private

Products: LFP battery packs and cells

Highlights: Founder Mujeeb Ijaz, a battery veteran with stints at Ford, A123 and Apple, says ONE plans to begin LFP cell and pack production in the United States by the end of 2022. Investors include BMW, Flex and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Mitra chem

Headquarters: Mountain View, California

Founded: 2021

Status: Private

Products: LFP cathodes

Highlights: Co-founders Vivas Kumar, William Chueh and Chirranjeevi Gopal aim to start pilot production of LFP cathodes this year. Investors include Social Capital and Fontinalis.

24m

Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Founded: 2010

Status: Private

Products: LFP and NCM cathodes and cells

Highlights: Co-founded by Yet-Ming Chiang, Throop Wilder and Craig Carter, MIT spinout 24M has drawn investment from Volkswagen, which will manufacture next-generation lithium-ion batteries using its cell technology. Norwegian battery startup Freyr also has a licensing agreement with 24M.

Kore power

Headquarters: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Founded: 2018

Status: Private

Products: LFP and NCM cells

Highlights: Co-founders Lindsay Gorrill and Paul Coombs are aiming to make LFP and NCM cells at a new plant in Buckeye, Arizona, starting in 2024. A key investor is Novonix, a Halifax-based battery materials supplier.

American battery factory

Headquarters: American Fork, Utah

Founded: 2021

Status: Private

Products: LFP batteries

Highlights: Co-founders Paul Charles and Zhenfang Ge say the company intends to build a network of LFP cell factories in the United States, and will provide specifics later this year. ABF was incubated by Ge’s Lion Energy.

Freyr

Headquarters: Mo i Rana, Norway

Founded: 2018

Status: Public

Products: LFP batteries

Highlights: The Norwegian startup, which went public in 2021, says it plans to build LFP batteries at a new plant near its HQ, starting in 2024, with plans to construct a battery factory in the United States by 2030. Mining giant Glencore is an investor.

Foxconn

Headquarters: Taipei, Taiwan

Founded: 1974

Status: Public

Products: LFP batteries

Highlights: Also known as Hon Hai Precision, Foxconn will build electric vehicles (EVs) for Lordstown Motors and Fisker at a former General Motors plant in Ohio. Foxconn is also developing LFP batteries and has discussed partnering with Vietnam’s Vinfast, which plans to build an EV plant in North Carolina.

Catl

Headquarters: Ningde, China

Founded: 2011

Status: Public

Products: LFP batteries and cells

Highlights: Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd, the world’s largest EV battery maker, expects to open an LFP production facility in Erfurt, Germany, this year. Key investors include Foxconn and Honda Motor.

GUOXUAN/GOTION

Headquarters: Hefei, China

Founded: 2006

Status: Public

Products: LFP batteries and cells

Highlights: Chinese battery maker Guoxuan, also known as Gotion, plans to open an LFP battery cell plant in Salzgitter, Germany, in 2025 with partner and investor Volkswagen. It has announced plans to build a similar facility in the United States.

Svolt

Headquarters: Changzhou, China

Founded: 2018

Status: Private

Products: LFP batteries and cells

Highlights: A spinout from China’s Great Wall Motor, Svolt expects to open an LFP battery cell plant in Germany’s Saarland in 2023. A key customer in Europe is Stellantis.

Byd

Headquarters: Shenzhen, China

Founded: 1995

Status: Public

Products: LFP batteries and cells

Highlights: China’s BYD has yet to announce a location or start date for its planned European LFP battery plant. Customers include Tesla and Toyota. Warren Buffett was an early investor.

Vinfast

Headquarters: Haiphong, Vietnam

Founded: 2017

Status: Subsidiary

Products: LFP batteries and cells

Highlights: A subsidiary of conglomerate Vingroup, VinFast and sister company VinES Energy Solutions are planning to build LFP batteries in Vietnam and at a new plant in North Carolina.

Elevenes

Headquarters: Subotica, Serbia

Founded: 2010

Status: Private

Products: LFP batteries

Highlights: ElevenEs has said it plans to construct an LFP plant near its Subotica headquarters in mid-decade.

(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit and Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco; Editing by Pravin Char)

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