The future of how markets evolve is largely dependent on research and development (R&D). It drives innovation, competitiveness, and long-term growth. Within the automotive market, the role of R&D has gained increasing importance in recent years as the industry electrifies. When looking at the data of how much automakers invest in R&D there are large […]
> BlueOval Battery Park, Ford’s battery project in Michigan, signed an agreement with Chinese cathode material producer Lopal for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) between 2026 and 2030. Lopal will provide the material via its subsidiary Liyuan (Asia Pacific) which operates a LFP cathode material production facility in Indonesia. The plant is due to begin commercial-scale operations […]
> Canada’s battery and electric vehicle (EV) supply chain continues to grow with Honda Motor announcing a C$15 billion ($11 billion) investment in Ontario. “This new project reflects Honda’s expectations of increasing EV demand in North America as it tries to develop a battery ecosystem in a region where it expects less competition from Chinese rivals,” […]
> Samsung SDI will supply Hyundai Motor with high nickel electric vehicle (EV) batteries for seven years starting from 2026, the first ever partnership in the EV space between the two South Korean companies. The prismatic battery cells will be made at Samsung’s factory in Hungary, forecast to supply 16.9% of Europe’s total cell supply in […]
> Chinese electric vehicle startup Nio plans to build its first battery gigafactory this year, according to Reuters, in the latest move by an automaker to enter the battery business. The 40 gigawatt-hour battery plant in Hefei will produce cylindrical cells and help reduce the company’s reliance on CATL for battery cells, it reported. If the […]
> Japan is stepping up support for its domestic lithium ion battery supply chain, earmarking up to ¥347.9bn ($2.4 billion) of subsidies to support projects encompassing battery cells, battery materials, and cell production equipment, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). “This is a big offensive from the Ministry of Economy Trade and […]
> Europe’s electric vehicles (EV) sales have had a strong start to the year, growing 21% in Q1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Notably, this growth has not been reflected in France’s EV market, which is down over 18% in the same period according to Rho Motion’s EV Sales Database. This makes it […]
> 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 […]