Battery tech developments & impact on charging

Mercedes-Benz has finalised a supply agreement with Canadian-German start-up Rock Tech Lithium to secure high-quality lithium used in battery production as part of a direct sourcing approach. 

While electric cars will remain the largest electric vehicle market for the foreseeable future in terms of battery demand and market revenue generation, most transport sectors are facing a transition. In this article, IDTechEx summarises key developments in non-automotive sectors, showing each sector's global battery demand (in 2021) for relative scale. For reference, battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars demanded approximately 280GWh globally in 2021.

Digital transparency company Everledger has announced the launch of a battery passport pilot with automotive manufacturer Ford Motor Company that is designed to ensure responsible recycling of EV batteries.

Hyundai Motor Group executive chair, Euisun Chung, along with Governor Brian P Kemp, and company officials, and state and local leaders, have officially broken ground on the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) new manufacturing plant at the Bryan County mega site in Georgia. 

Vianode, owned by Elkem, Hydro and Altor, has opened a research & development technical centre for sustainable battery materials in Kristiansand, Norway. 

Independent German electric vehicle manufacturer, Next.e.GO Mobile SE, (e.GO) is introducing a new compact commercial last mile urban delivery electric vehicle, the e.Xpress.

ADS-TEC Energy, a provider of battery-buffered, ultra-fast charging technology, has been recognised as Overall Charging Station Technology of the Year in the third annual AutoTech Breakthrough Awards programme. 

Canada-headquartered Li-Cycle, a lithium-ion battery recycler operating in North America, has announced that its Alabama Spoke located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama has started commercial operations.

The value of the global wireless charging market totalled US$8.95m in 2021 and is projected to reach US$2,744 by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 85% from 2022 to 2030. 

Battery metals company Technology Minerals has signed a binding agreement to take full ownership of Recyclus Group, a fellow UK-based firm that provides industrial-scale recycling of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries.