Ford delays battery plant for next-generation EVs, citing demand

BlueOvalSK Battery Park  -  rendering, September 2021Ford is delaying production at one of two EV battery plants located on a common site in Kentucky, the Louisville Courier Journal reports. Citing lower-than-expected demand for EVs, Ford will continue production of the two plants comprising the BlueOval SK Battery Park, a joint venture with battery supplier SK On in the state that's being financed...

Factorial claims largest US solid-state EV battery plant yet

Factorial solid-state cellsFactorial Energy recently announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility it claims is the largest thus far in the U.S. for solid-state batteries—although there's not yet a timeline for scaled-up production. Located in the Boston suburb of Methuen, Massachusetts, near Factorial's existing headquarters and R&D center, the $50...

Toyota aims toward solid-state EV battery production with partnership

Toyota solid-state battery prototypeToyota is partnering with Japanese oil company Idemitsu Kosan to move solid-state EV battery tech closer to production. The partnership will progress through three phases, the two companies said in a joint announcement Thursday. The first phase will focus on development sulfide solid electrolytes (the solid electrolyte is where solid-state...

Rivian Max pack efficiency gains enable 400-mile, 3-row R1S

Rivian R1T, green, vs. Rivian R1S, silverThe largest Rivian battery pack, dubbed the Max pack, is now entering production, but with less capacity than original discussed. When it announced the Max pack about two years ago, Rivian mentioned a gross capacity of 180 kwh. But this past week, Rivian confirmed to Car and Driver that it's largest pack has a gross capacity of just 149 kwh. Since...

Toyota secures batteries for US-made EVs due in 2025

2023 Toyota bZ4X Limited AWDToyota on Wednesday announced a "long-term" battery supply agreement with LG Energy Solution, which the automaker claims will secure batteries for U.S. EV production. Under the contract, LG will supply battery modules at an annual capacity of 20 gigawatt-hours starting in 2025, according to a Toyota press release. Comprised of...

Biden policy led Northvolt to Canada for $5.2B EV battery plant

Rendering of Northvolt Six battery factory in Quebec, CanadaSwedish battery firm Northvolt on Thursday said it would build a $5.2 billion (USD) EV battery factory in Canada's Quebec province—its first outside of Europe. Known as Northvolt Six, the factory will be located just outside Montreal, according to a company press release. The first phase of construction is scheduled to start this year, with...

StoreDot could help speed up charging in future Volvo EVs

2025 Volvo EX30Israel-based battery firm StoreDot on Thursday announced a "strategic collaboration" with Volvo to develop very fast-charging battery cells for future EVs. The partnership will produce cells "optimized and tailored for Volvo's future electric vehicle architecture," according to a StoreDot press release. The company expects to deliver the first...

Survey: EV battery production can cloud sustainability picture

Stack of Rivian battery cellsEVs produce no "tailpipe" emissions, but the environmental impact of battery production has car shoppers concerned about EVs' overall carbon footprint, according to a new Ipsos survey. Of the consumers surveyed, 73% said they were concerned about how EV battery production might affect the planet. Further, 74% said they were concerned about the...

EV batteries degrade faster in hot weather: What owners can do

Marengo Charging Plaza, Pasadena, CaliforniaHot weather can cause EV batteries to degrade faster, but there are some simple things owners can do to help protect their cars, according battery-health analysis firm Recurrent. Recurrent publishes battery health reports for used EVs, but also uses the data pulled from vehicles to study the impact of hot and cold weather on range and battery...

Toyota plots solid-state battery timeline for future EVs

Toyota EV concept for 2026Toyota on Thursday provided an update on its battery development plans, including a more detailed roadmap for the rollout of solid-state batteries. The automaker has five next-generation battery designs, including both liquid and solid electrolytes. Toyota expects the solid-state batteries, which the company has been researching with Panasonic, to...