To strike a balance between avoiding additional costs and incentivising investment in local battery manufacturing capacity, the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) struck a deal last month to extend current local content requirements for batteries and electric vehicles (EVs) until December 31, 2026. This recent decision results from several months of negotiations […]
> Benchmark Week 2025 kicked off in LA on Tuesday, with policy makers, industry leaders, and experts from Benchmark discussing the key topics impacting energy transition supply chains in 2025. From across the first day’s sessions three key takeaways emerged: 1. Supply chains are a national security priority now more than ever “These are not just […]
> In the season of Q3 result releases, battery manufacturer CATL has reported record financial performance. Cumulative revenue from Q1–Q3 rose from RMB259bn ($36bn) in 2024 to RMB283bn ($39.3bn) in 2025, a year‑on‑year increase of 9%. Net profit also rose 41% between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, from RMB13.14bn ($1.87bn) to RMB18.55bn ($2.58bn). Efficiency gains underpin profit growth Increasing efficiency has […]
> The UK currently has no operating lithium extraction facilities. However, there are ambitious plans to develop this industry, with 97,000 tonnes LCE per year of nameplate capacity in the pipeline at various stages of funding and development. Direct lithium extraction (DLE) from geothermal brines accounts for 60% of this pipeline, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast. […]
> UK energy provider, Octopus Energy, and BYD have unveiled an all-inclusive vehicle-to-grid (V2G) bundle that includes car leasing, a bi-directional charger, and a smart tariff. In one of the first commercially available deals of its kind in the UK and Europe, this is a step towards increasing adoption of V2G, but obstacles remain ahead of […]
> China has postponed the implementation of its expanded rare earth export controls announced in early October following high-level US-China trade negotiations in South Korea this week. It marks a temporary easing in what had become an escalating front in the tit-for-tat US–China trade confrontation. The announcement follows extensive economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, […]
> China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has unveiled stricter listing requirements for new energy vehicles (NEVs), set to take effect from 2026. Vehicles must meet these revised specifications to qualify for inclusion on the official MIIT listing, a prerequisite for receiving favourable tax treatment. How will the new PHEV rules affect the market? From […]
> Vulcan Energy Resources, an Australian DLE (direct lithium extraction) developer operating in Europe, has signed an eight-year offtake agreement with commodity trader Glencore. Under this agreement Glencore will take 40,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide (35,200 tonnes LCE) over an eight-year period starting from when Vulcan Energy enters commercial production, towards the end of the decade. […]
> London, March 28 – The global commodities sector is entering a new era driven by energy transition demand, geopolitical turbulence, and a shifting global manufacturing landscape, Benchmark Chairman Simon Moores told members of the House of Lords on Thursday. “Commodities and mining are back,” Moores said. “But the world isn’t what it once was.” Speaking […]