Electric Vehicles:Batteries and recycling

[NewcastleFalcon]

Enjoyed that. Worth a mention on the Citroen Ami thread Marc. I'll copy it across in a quote. As much as it's about the Ami, its light entertainment too

Regards Neil

[Sloppysod]

This sounds interesting, but we have heard stuff like it before.
.

The only trouble was the next video I watched was about John Keely, a vapor ware salesman! at the turn of the century ... So I wait until I see it, but according to the video ABOVE it will be soon.....

Just for reference this is the other video
...

[NewcastleFalcon]

There is no doubt that the bringing of new battery tech to industrial production will be through the giants of the automotive battery world, and recently I posted up a list....1 down to 10 on the list were all from the far east (
viewtopic.php?p=729113#p729113 ) CATL being the biggest are in prime position, but the likes of BYD are rapidly rising and their blade tech is already in BYD EV's right now, and they are coming to Europe.

If any of the many "game-changer" breakthroughs make it out of the lab, it will be through the major battery manufacturers. The video is not wrong in that respect, and our presenter is not promoting the latest thing from the lab, but something that the world's largest automotive battery company is producing. The blade batteries are a more efficient use of the existing Li-ion chemistry. With everyone in the world scratching around to secure lithium supply, the price of course has rocketed. Na-ion is just about there with cheaper raw materials, but not quite as energy dense, or effective as Lithium. Again, the likes of CATL are ahead in that tech and will set the bar for the rest to follow, and the first serious industrial production will come from their factories.

I would be much more confident in the Gigafactory at Blyth, being developed quickly if one of the established battery players became involved. Britishvolt is pretty much a startup that has never made a battery, and its current difficulties in getting started, and hitting its timetables are not unexpected because of that.

Regards Neil

[myglaren]

Another Lithium source.
The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat. It stretches over 4,000 sq miles (10,400 sq km), and in the dry season can be seen from the Moon.
Beeb

[Hell Razor5543]

If this article is correct NASA have come up with an innovative solution;

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techands ... c50d36faf2

[NewcastleFalcon]

Solid state and Sodium Ion would appear to be the next phase in large scale battery evolution.

Over in China, and tentatively over in Europe with Nio, battery-as-a-service, and rapid battery swopping stations are still getting plenty of investment, and with gigantic players like SAIC and CATL also involved it is going to persist.

SAIC, CATL, Sinopec & CNPC to swap batteries in China

The abbreviations
SAIC Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. you may be familiar with their MG brand
CATL Contemporary Amperex Technology Co, Ltd the worlds largest manufacturer of batteries for EV's
Sinopec China Petrochemical Corporation or Sinopec Group is the world's largest oil refining, gas and petrochemical conglomerate,
CNPC China National Petroleum Corporation Ranked just above Sinopec Group as the 4th Largest Company by Revenues in the World.

Not exactly small fry...

Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Unashamed ad for an idea you may not have come across!! Have a look:

viewtopic.php?p=731799#p731799

[NewcastleFalcon]

Two stories to speculatively link. Britishvolt's tardiness in getting things moving at Blyth, while the world looks to pour investment into Battery Factories.

UK In The Running For $8 Billion Battery Gigafactory
ProLogium, a Taiwanese lithium battery manufacturer is scouting for the location of its first major European gigafactory.

Britishvolt News Britishvolt’s CEO Orral Najdari steps down
PreviouslyHuge UK electric car battery factory on ‘life support’ to cut costs

I would be much more confident in the Gigafactory at Blyth, being developed quickly if one of the established battery players became involved. Britishvolt is pretty much a startup that has never made a battery, and its current difficulties in getting started, and hitting its timetables are not unexpected because of that.

Wise words mate! (if I have to say so myself!))

Britishvolt seeks £200m emergency funding within the next 2 months

REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

News of the World's Largest Battery manufacturer for cars. China's CATL.

Lots of factors behind this headline
CATL postpones plans for new US plant again

"...the company appears taking issue with the administration’s Inflation Reduction Act which requires carmakers to source 50% of critical minerals used in EV batteries from North America or US allies by 2024, rising to 80% by the end of 2026."

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Two stories to speculatively link. Britishvolt's tardiness in getting things moving at Blyth, while the world looks to pour investment into Battery Factories.

UK In The Running For $8 Billion Battery Gigafactory
ProLogium, a Taiwanese lithium battery manufacturer is scouting for the location of its first major European gigafactory.

Britishvolt News Britishvolt’s CEO Orral Najdari steps down
PreviouslyHuge UK electric car battery factory on ‘life support’ to cut costs

I would be much more confident in the Gigafactory at Blyth, being developed quickly if one of the established battery players became involved. Britishvolt is pretty much a startup that has never made a battery, and its current difficulties in getting started, and hitting its timetables are not unexpected because of that.

Wise words mate! (if I have to say so myself!))

Britishvolt seeks £200m emergency funding within the next 2 months

and the story continues with something Steve spotted

Britishvolt could fall into administration as soon as Monday after the government withdrew a promised £100m in funding from the battery firm.

Beeb.

If there's money to be made someone will pick up the bits and it will continue having bankrupted their suppliers.

If they are not careful they will be snapped up by the heavily state backed Slovakian start-up Inobat, who also haven't put any batteries into mass production but have 3 gigafactories planned and are looking for locations. The top 10 of battery producers are all from the far east as reported earlier. If you want a battery factory built, whether you like it or not those are the ones who make things happen.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Keeping the story together, not very specific on the secured funding just amended their headline so far.
They have commenced some groundworks at the site and planning permissions are all in hand. Even if Britishvolt don't make it through to having their name on the side of the factory, let's hope it moves on now.

"It has now secured secured cash for the business to stay afloat in the short to medium term, sources with understanding of the matter said. The sources would not comment on the identity of the new backer or backers."

Britishvolt could fall into administration as soon as Monday after the government withdrew a promised £100m in funding from the battery firm.

Beeb.

That's yesterday's news now !

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63459393 UK battery firm Britishvolt averts collapse as funding secured
"UK battery firm Britishvolt has averted collapse by securing additional funding for the business, the BBC understands."

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Why so tight-lipped Britishvolt

This has been coming for a while, some interesting background in this older article (29th Sept 2022!) on Britishvolt's backers, and the covenants placed by NCC on sale of the site, after Britishvolt backed out of a proposed development site in Wales. The council retains a covenant which means it can demand the site back if Britishvolt fail to meet certain conditions. Advance of the Government backing also is dependent on vital equipment orders being in place.

With such an unimpressive start, and the begging bowl already out, and negative whinging, I would be very surprised if Britishvolt is the name on any battery to eventually emerge from the site at Blyth.

Shock therapy: turmoil engulfs Britishvolt’s £3.8bn battery factory

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... n-industry

Regards Neil

[myglaren]

It wouldn't surprise me if Nissan acquired it.

[myglaren]

Altilium Metals announces new EV battery factory in Teesside

The UK’s largest EV battery recycling business will open a new multi-million pound factory on Teesside, creating hundreds of jobs in the region.

Global firm Altilium Metals plans to open the new facility to transform battery waste from more than 150,000 electric vehicles into ‘Cathode Active Material’ – a key component of new batteries.

[NewcastleFalcon]

The battery Factory at Sunderland will happen before the battery factory at Blyth, and for the battery factory at Blyth to progress the struggling start-up Britishvolt may well have to hand the baton on to a global battery maker that can actually build a battery factory and make it happen

Battery production is not now a business for startups; it is an industry with huge players through which all the intellectual property, and innovation and development into industrial scale production flows. The top 10 electric vehicle battery producers are all from the far-east, and have supply contracts with global carmakers. The only sizeable battery maker in the UK is Chinese firm Envision AESC that supplies Nissan and that's the advantage which will see the Sunderland Gigafactory turn into a reality, while the Blyth Development currently limps along.

UK: Envision AESC lays foundation for Sunderland gigafactory

Regards Neil