Tesla supplier Panasonic ready to ramp 4860 EV battery production

Panasonic cylindrical EV battery cellsPanasonic has finalized preparations to begin manufacturing 4680-format lithium-ion battery cells at a Japanese factory, Reuters reported Monday. The company is reportedly sending sample cells produced at the factory in Japan's western prefecture of Wakayama to automaker customers for approval, with production to start once that approval is...

Northvolt cutting costs, undergoing strategic review

Volvo and Northvolt partner on battery development and productionSwedish battery maker Northvolt is undertaking a strategic review that could lead to job losses as the company aims to cut costs and scale back ambitious expansion plans, Reuters reported Monday. "No final decisions have been made on the precise nature of any (workforce) resizing," Northvolt said in a statement to Reuters. The company has decided...

Toyota EV plans: Tenfold boost by 2026, solid-state batteries

Toyota FT-Se conceptToyota now aims for a million or more EVs in 2026, down from 1.5 million It plans to start making next-gen batteries in Japan in 2026, including solid-state cells At an eventual 9 gigawatt-hours annually, the advanced batteries are likely only for niche models EVs Toyota will ramp up EV production to at least one million units in 2026, and will...

How often should you charge your EV’s LFP battery?

Sono Sion LFP battery packAutomakers are increasingly turning to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for affordable EVs, and packs with that chemistry can benefit from a different charging regimen than that usually used for the currently dominant nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry. As laid out in a recent Engineering Explained video, automakers are recommending...

GM-Samsung $3.5B battery plant coming to Indiana

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EVSamsung SDI on Wednesday said it had signed an agreement with General Motors for a joint EV battery factory in Indiana. First reported by Reuters, the deal calls for the two companies to invest $3.5 billion in the factory, which targets annual production capacity of 27 gigawatt-hours of cells. Samsung reportedly expects the factory to begin mass...

Battery maker Northvolt shutting down R&D in California

Northvolt lithium-ion battery cellSwedish battery firm Northvolt is shutting down a research and development facility working on lithium-metal batteries in California and moving all development work to its R&D hub in Vasteras, Sweden, the company said Tuesday. Northvolt had been conducting some development work on lithium-metal battery technology—an alternative to the...