Battery Breaking-News Headlines

The battery industry moves at a fast pace: The articles Battery Technology publishes represent only a fraction of what’s happening in this quickly evolving industry. That’s the idea behind this curated and regularly updated digest of links to breaking news related to the battery and energy storage industry. Some of these stories may become the subject of analysis by our own team—but we’re sharing them here, unfiltered, so that you can get them on your radar right away.

To keep the stream fresh, we will update this digest regularly—so please check back often!

As if Tesla's Robotaxi show and GM's dumping of Ultium weren't enough: A whole lot of EV-related news this week:

One of the most-cited reasons for car buyers remaining wary of electric vehicles is the high cost of EVs compared to ICE-powered vehicles. That higher cost largely originates in the pricey EV battery. Now, Goldman Sachs offers good news on that front, forecasting that EV battery prices will fall by almost 50% by 2026. (Goldman Sachs)

YouTube screen capture. Credit: Juicebox

As recently as May, Juicebox was regularly making lists of “Best Home EV Chargers.” But more recently it's feeling the squeeze from investigators: Last week the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was looking into complaints of fires and electrical malfunctions. And now the company is exiting North America—ending app usage and software support. (Ars Technica)

Hyundai Metaplant America groundbreaking ceremony in Byron County, GA, on October 25, 2022. HYUNDAI

Back in October 2022, Hyundai broke ground on its Bryan County, GA “MetaPlant,” aiming to begin EV production by early 2025. They’ve beaten their own estimate: The company has just begun producing electric SUVs there—less than two years later. (Associated Press)

On October 10, Nissan announced that it will launch “affordable” bi-directional charging on selected electric vehicles in 2026. EVs equipped with V2G technology can store electricity generated by wind or solar and direct it into the grid when needed, reducing dependency on fossil fuels. (Nissan news release) IN case you're rusty on V2G benefits, here's a Nissan explainer:

Earlier:

GM Energy launches the PowerBank, offering EV owners nationwide energy storage, solar integration, and backup power options with 10.6 kWh and 17.7 kWh variants. (GM)

The GM Energy PowerBank comes in 10.6 kWh and 17.7 kWh battery capacity variants. Courtesy of GM.

Form Energy secures $405M to accelerate development of its 100-hour battery, boosting manufacturing and R&D at its first factory in West Virginia. (AP News)

Hyundai partners with Lithion to collect and recycle EV batteries in Canada, recovering 98% of minerals from over 250 Hyundai and Genesis distributors. (Recycling Products News)

Lithion will support Hyundai's vision by collecting and recycling batteries from 250 Canadian distributors. Courtesy of petovarga/iStock / Getty Images Plus.

Research shows electric car owners emit more overall emissions than poorer households due to higher incomes, increased driving, and larger carbon footprints despite driving EVs. (Yahoo!News)

India and the US signed an agreement to strengthen supply chains for critical battery minerals like lithium and cobalt, promoting resilience in EV and clean energy sectors. (Reuters)

Earlier:

4680 cells being placed by an Optimus robot. TESLA

Tesla is back in the news: The Information, citing inside sources, reports that Tesla plans to develop four new batteries by 2026 to power the Cybertruck, the long-promised robotaxi, and other EVs. This is in spite of the company’s troubles developing its 4680 battery. (via Reuters)

Meanwhile, Tesla reports the delivery of around 463,000 vehicles in Q3—up 4% from Q2 and 6% year over year. The largest percentage is from deliveries of the Model 3 and Model Y. Full Q3 results and investor call will happen on October 23. (Tesla)

Tesla Q3 data TESLA

General Motors had a record quarter of EV sales with 32,095 total deliveries, up 60% year-over-year and up 46% compared to the second quarter of 2024. The company noted that more than 50% of its EV buyers were new to GM. (GM)

And Toyota is pushing back the start of EV production in North America to the first half of 2026. Toyota has planned to introduce five to seven battery electric vehicle models in the U.S. over the next two years. Supply disruption and governance issues are the suspected reasons for the delay. (Reuters)

Toyota has also inaugurated its new battery division, Toyota Battery, at Kosai Battery Park following the acquisition of Primearth EV Energy (PEVE) as a wholly owned subsidiary in March. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said that Toyota Battery would play a vital role in both Toyota's global battery strategy and strengthening Japan’s competitiveness in the sector. (Mobility Outlook)

Toyota Chair Akio Toyoda TOYOTA

JERA, Japan’s largest fossil fuel producer, isn’t ignoring the electric transition in the automotive industry. The company says it plans to extract valuable metals from old EV batteries—aiming for a whopping 90% recovery rate. (Nikkei Asia)

In smart phone battery news, the new iPhone Pro Max battery was tested against the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra—and blew past all previous battery life records: The iPhone ultimately lasted a total of 28 hours and 14 minutes; with more than 12 hours of active screen-on time and 16 hours of standby.(PhoneBuff)