The U.S. is getting a new EV battery cell electrode facility

On July 24, California-based Enevate and Korea’s JR Energy Solution announced a joint venture in which they would build a U.S. battery cell electrode factory. 

Enevate and JR Energy Solutions, JR ES, intend to tailor-make lithium-ion battery cell electrodes, including anodes and cathodes. Both companies said they’re currently evaluating potential locations. While they also plan to produce up to 6 GWH of annual paired electrode capacity in different building stages. 

Enevate develops extremely fast-charging EV battery technology, and JR ES designs manufacturing lithium-ion battery electrodes and cells. JR ES’s cells foundry model enables lithium-ion cell makers to produce tailor-made electrodes and cell solutions. 

Bob Kruse, CEO of Enevate, stated, “This partnership with JR Energy Solution is excellent news for the whole battery market in the US. Customers can utilize Enevate’s cutting-edge silicon-dominant battery technology and benefit from JR ES’s knowledge and experience in producing electrodes and battery cells. Additionally, it will allow companies to outsource a portion of their production capacity or speed up their development process.”

The California-based company outlined how the joint battery cell factory would operate: “The electrode foundry facility will allow customers to outsource portions of their production, speed up their development process, or order custom electrodes to qualify their materials or production equipment while enjoying the benefit of receiving ultra-high-quality electrodes produced on cutting-edge manufacturing equipment at mass production speed.”

On the other hand, in South Korea, JR ES has begun constructing its first factory, which is anticipated to open in the fourth quarter of this year.