Lyten is currently developing lithium-sulphur cells as a cleaner alternative to lithium-ion, with backing from Stellantis, American engineering conglomerate Honeywell, and delivery services provider FedEx.

Analysts see Lyten’s latest move igniting revival hopes for European battery independence after Northvolt filed for bankruptcy in March 2025, making it one of Sweden’s largest corporate failures and sparking a frantic push to find a buyer.

Lyten now wants to restart the flagship Skelleftea plant in northern Sweden and resume deliveries of lithium-ion battery cells in 2026. In July, it acquired Northvolt’s energy storage business in Poland, Europe’s largest, and is targeting automotive, defence, and energy storage markets. As per Lyten CEO and co-founder Dan Cook, several of Northvolt’s former management will be joining Lyten, excluding founder and ex-CEO Peter Carlsson.

International Finance will explain in detail about Lyten, which recently secured more than USD 200 million in additional equity investment to support its acquisitions and expansion plans.

Unleashing Materials Disruption

Lyten specialises in “supermaterial applications,” unleashing extraordinary possibilities in humankind’s journey to net zero and beyond. The start-up’s flagship creation has been its “Lyten 3D Graphene,” a novel decarbonisation supermaterial with the potential to disrupt, transform, and enhance nearly every industry on Earth.

Lyten utilises supermaterials and relentless ingenuity to make “Net Zero” a reality, without compromising performance, profitability, customer experience, and economic growth in developing economies.

As per Keith Norman, Lyten’s Chief Sustainability Officer, to fulfil Lyten’s vision of an “equitable net zero world,” the start-up needs to deliver gigaton CO2 reduction at massive global scale. That will take more than just cleaner products, as people need better-performing products that make simple economic sense and are cleaner.

Lyten’s focus today is on the highest-emitting, hardest-to-abate industries. The start-up claims its supermaterials are highly tunable, which will help it to work closely with leaders from these industries to deliver the specific performance enhancements required to create better applications.

Meet Lyten’s 3D Graphene

In every industry, material limitations act as a barrier to reducing emissions while maintaining profitability. Lyten 3D Graphene acts as a game-changer here, by acting as a decarbonisation multiplier that makes an impact at every level. From the permanent sequestering of carbon in the making of Lyten 3D Graphene, to cleaner product manufacturing, to the expanding decarbonisation impact over time—it’s a win-win-win: for customers, economy, and planet.

The product offers unique resistive, capacitive, inductive, structural, and energy-absorbing properties that can be infinitely tuned to deliver profound results. Lyten creates its 3D Graphene by converting greenhouse gases into solid carbon and hydrogen gas. While the hydrogen gas will be captured for re-use as a clean fuel, the carbon gets permanently sequestered in the form of a three-dimensional supermaterial.

Since the technology is tunable, it can be engineered at the atomic level to bond with other elements on the periodic table. This can optimise thermal and electrical properties, or customise porosity to improve strength and stiffness, decrease weight, and much more.

Powered by Lyten 3D Graphene, the start-up’s “Lithium-Sulphur Batteries” are now serving as the heart of high-performance UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). These batteries act as the ultra-lightweight propulsion to enable longer flights and heavier payloads, while being fully compliant with the NDAA (National Defence Authorisation Act), as the component is fully US-sourced and American-manufactured, keeping out foreign-controlled minerals such as nickel, manganese, cobalt, or graphite from the production process.

Lithium-Sulfur’s performance is perfect to electrify anything that moves. Lyten has begun the multi-year qualification process for electric vehicles, trucks, delivery vehicles, and aviation, apart from meeting near-term delivery targets of commercial-ready batteries for drones, satellites, defence applications, micromobility, and mobile equipment. Lyten is betting big on Lithium-Sulphur as the sulphur cathode and lithium-metal anode have the potential to hold multiple times the energy density of current lithium-ion batteries.

Lyten uses the above-mentioned potential to build a practical battery without heavy minerals like nickel, cobalt, graphite, or iron and phosphorus. The result is up to 50% weight reduction vs NMC and up to 75% weight reduction vs LFP. While it’s impossible to buy a lithium-ion battery whose raw materials don’t go through China, Lyten is trying to eliminate the challenge, instead of trying to rebuild the mining and processing supply chain.

“Lyten Lithium-Sulphur is the world leader in localised sourcing. We are nearly complete in building an entirely local supply chain in the US. Next up is the European Union, then the rest of the world. The world can’t wait for a new chemistry requiring completely new manufacturing. The world is building gigafactories now. Lyten Li-S can be manufactured on the same equipment lines that fill gigafactories today. Well… almost. First, we can eliminate some of the equipment because we don’t need it,” the start-up noted.

Based on the above principle, Lyten converted its Lithium-Sulfur’s automated pilot line in California’s San Jose from a lithium-ion line in March 2025. That pilot line has since then ramped up to more than 90% yields for both pouch and cylindrical cells.

The start-up sees the removal of mined minerals from its battery production process as a great start. It is now eyeing ramping up things further by factoring in 3D Graphene, sourced by sequestering carbon from methane. It will end up resulting in the product powering industrial operations through renewables, ensuring the lowest carbon footprint in the process.

3D Printer Filament And More

Lyten’s “3D Printer Filament” is all about infusing elements like strength, speed, quality, and ease of use when it comes to high-performance 3D printing. The start-up calls the product the marriage between materials science and additive manufacturing, as it remarked, “Powered by Lyten 3D Graphene, our filament is engineered to push the boundaries of what’s possible with 3D printing.”

This is not just another carbon fiber-reinforced nylon—it’s a reimagined composite built with Lyten 3D Graphene, delivering unmatched print speed, quality, strength, and mechanical performance.

Powered by a proprietary formula that enhances the synergy between polymer and fiber, the manufacturers (from fields like consumer electronics, defence, drones, mobility, and motorsport) using 3D printer filament can now print faster, stronger, and with greater precision and design freedom than ever before, without sacrificing print quality or reliability.

The tool prints 20% faster than leading Nylon-CF brands, with fewer slowdowns, something which makes the tool perfect for production environments, rapid prototyping, or time-sensitive builds—functions that require increased productivity and capacity. The 3D printer filament has reportedly outperformed top competitors in blind surface quality tests, in terms of delivering high-resolution detail, with better finish, and consistent results.

Next, we have Lyten’s “3D Graphene Composite Systems,” representing high-performance composite materials (like plastic), that come in handy for applications like ultra-lightweight aircraft, drones, and vehicles.

“Composite materials make up a massive portion of our infrastructure. With our 3D Graphene, polymers and composites can be made lighter, stronger, and more sustainable. These reinforced materials can be applied across countless applications, enabling even the highest-emitting industries on the planet to work towards achieving net zero without compromising performance, profitability, or customer experience. Lyten has successfully reduced weight and plastic usage by more than 50% in certain applications that can be used in the mobility, aviation, and supply chain industries. This is only the beginning of our journey to a stronger, more sustainable material world,” the start-up added.

Let’s conclude with Lyten’s “3D Graphene IoT Sensing Platform,” which consists of paper-thin, dime-sized, electronics-free sensors that can be embedded into nearly any material on Earth. These sensors have non-invasive biosensing, which has the potential to transform healthcare.

The post Start-up of the Week: Post Northvolt acquisition, battery maker Lyten eyes European expansion appeared first on International Finance.

As we enter 2024, the industry is abuzz with a breakthrough product called the ‘Solid State EV Batteries’, with automobile giants like Toyota, Tesla, Volkswagen, Hyundai and others ramping up their research and development activities in this particular innovation.

Investments Galore

Toyota is aiming to roll out its next-generation solid-state batteries by 2027, a move which will help the venture to double its vehicle range and lower charging time.

The Japanese automaker is eyeing to launch battery electric vehicles with existing lithium-ion (li-ion) and a second range with the Japanese automaker’s new and pricier solid-state batteries, as per the media reports.

Toyota announced the “breakthrough” in its solid-state battery efforts in 2023 and plans to mass-produce the product by 2028. These batteries will counter concerns such as extended charging time and the risk of catching fire associated with traditional Li-ion batteries.

Toyota, in October 2023, entered into a partnership with Tokyo-based petroleum company Idemitsu Kosan to jointly produce the solid-state battery material called sulphide solid electrolyte. The partnership will mass produce and establish a supply chain for solid electrolytes.

Since the electrolyte is a solid element, it allows ions, which convey electricity, to move faster, thus enabling shorter charging times, increased cruising ranges, and higher power output for electric vehicles. Solid-state batteries are also resistant to temperature changes.

Solid state batteries have drawbacks like cracks caused between the cathodes and anodes and the solid electrolytes, due to repeated charging, which ultimately affects the product’s performance. Idemitsu conducted the development of elemental technologies for solid-state batteries, which resulted in the creation of a highly flexible, adhesive, and crack-resistant solid electrolyte. And now the venture’s partnership with Toyota is set to redefine the EV industry practices, when it comes to battery usage in the vehicles.

By combining Idemitsu’s new solid electrolyte with Toyota’s cathode and anode materials and battery technologies, the Japanese automaker is all set to redefine the performance and durability of solid-state batteries.

Following Toyota, automobile giants like Volkswagen and Hyundai have become proactive in their solid-state battery plans.

US, China Enter The Game

Chinese EV company Nio put its new semi-solid state batteries to the test on a 14-hour, 650-mile journey in December 2023, as the venture’s CEO William Li drove the ET7 sedan from Shanghai to Xiamen, without stopping to charge along the way.

Nio’s industry peer Changan formed a strategic partnership with Ganfeng Lithium in 2023 to work on the development of solid-state batteries. The state-owned carmaker plans for mass production of solid-state battery EVs from 2025.

According to Academy of Sciences member and Tsinghua University professor Ouyang Minggao, China will be at the forefront of the solid-state battery market penetration effort as the nation’s EV companies have set up 130 GWh of solid-state battery factory capacity for 2025, and this will be further scaled up to over 500 GWh by 2030.

On the other hand, United States-based start-up EnergyX unveiled its proprietary SoLiS electrolyte for new solid-state EV battery technology, which will offer a longer lifespan, better range and charging performance, and less cost.

Another start-up named Factorial, saw its new solid-state EV battery called FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) garnering interest in 2021. Factorial’s new EV battery is a quasi-solid-state one, different from a full solid-state EV battery. In 2021, the technology made its market debut with the launch of a 40 Amp-hour version of the FEST battery.

Another US start-up Ion Storage Systems has come up with its “Ceramic Brain”, which, as per the reports, deploys powder provided by the materials specialist Saint-Gobain.

Colorado University spinoff ‘Solid Power’ announced in 2021 about expanding its electrolyte production capacity by adding a second factory in the Denver area. The facility is expected to quadruple the venture’s production footprint, as the latter’s goal is to produce 30 metric tons of electrolyte annually at the Thornton facility, or enough for roughly 200,000 cells for EVs.

In January 2024, Solid Power upgraded its relationship with the Korean battery maker SK On, which included an R&D commitment, apart from setting up a new production line at one of SK On’s Korean facilities, which will start functioning in 2025. SK On will use Solid Power’s electrolyte to validate the line, upon which the Korean venture will buy eight metric tonnes of electrolyte from Solid Power through 2030.

Is Technology a Game-Changer?

While most companies are using lithium batteries to power their vehicles, solid-state batteries are also regarded as safer as they do not need the flammable liquid that is required in traditional lithium-ion batteries, reducing the fire risk in vehicles. These batteries are also lighter than their traditional counterparts and require a shorter charging time.

“These batteries are expected to vastly improve the performance of EVs, allowing them to run over longer distances. However, there are some drawbacks. While solid-state batteries may perform better, their lifespan may be shorter, as they can eventually form cracks and need replacing,” said OilPrice.com.

A solid-state battery in an EV should charge to full capacity in around 10-15 minutes. As of 2024, lithium-ion cells usually guarantee 80% of their original capacity after 1000 charge cycles. Solid-state cells should significantly improve on that score.

Challenges Are Aplenty

Since most of the solid-state battery projects are in their initial stages, they will be only undergoing small-scale productions, which means that costs will be elevated. Only with these initial lots proving their practical worth, large-scale manufacturing will follow, which will then drive down the costs.

“Solid-state is a great technology. But it’s going to be just like lithium-ion was in terms of the length of time it will take to hit the market. And lithium-ion took a long time to get there” noted Bob Galyen, owner of Galyen Energy and former chief technology officer for the Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL), while interacting with the IEEESpectrum.

In December 2023, Chinese automaker NIO announced about introduction of a 150-kilowatt-hour “semi-solid-state battery” that would theoretically offer a 1,000-km range. Experts pointed out that the product was not a solid-state one.

“This is in fact a fairly conventional NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) cell with a gel electrolyte that has been in production for 15 years and is typically referred to as lithium-polymer,” noted Sam Abuelsamid, principal research analyst for Guidehouse Insights, while speaking to IEEESpectrum.

“Technically the gel is considered a semi-solid because it has properties of both a solid and liquid. But in a cell, it lacks the properties of a true solid-state electrolyte,” Abuelsamid stated, while issuing the caution about semi-solid-state battery cells being punctured on impact.

Galyen further cited five “golden rules” of EV batteries: safety, performance, life, cost, and environmental, before the product gets commercially adopted by the industry.

“Most of the solid-state battery companies fall short on at least three of the five golden rules. I haven’t seen anyone publish life numbers that make any sense. And I haven’t seen cost numbers that are even close to competing with liquid-state, lithium-ion batteries,” Galyen stated, while admitting that Solid-state costs were about “where conventional lithium-ion batteries were a decade ago”.

As per Galyen, automakers still need to verify the performances of solid-state batteries on three crucial fronts, temperature, altitude, and shock and vibration.

The validation process alone will be time-consuming, as the product needs to be tested in real-world conditions. Also, EV manufacturers need to build dedicated solid-state battery factories, which may take two years, followed by the half-year running of prototype products and distributing them to customers, who will put these batteries through their duty cycles.

Galyen sees an extended period of seven or more years for the build-out, production, and validation of solid-state batteries.

The Final Verdict

Solid-state cells are the inevitable future of the electric vehicle industry, especially when it comes to raising the vehicles’ safety and energy-related parameters, apart from ensuring faster recharge times.

Given these advantages, automakers are eager to embrace the product. However, just like any innovation undergoing bumps from its prototype run to the commercial adoption, solid-state batteries too will take their sweet time to be mature enough for commercial usage. Will the industry be patient enough to deal with the fact? We have to wait and watch.

The post IF Insights: ‘Solid State’ of battery affair awaits electric vehicle industry appeared first on International Finance.

CATL’s headquarters are located in Ningde, Fujian Province, China, and the company has expanded its international reach with subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America and other regions. This global presence has enabled CATL to supply major automobile manufacturers around the world, contributing significantly to the electrification of the automotive industry.

CATL’s focus is on producing high-quality lithium-ion batteries with a strong emphasis on safety, performance and durability. They have developed various battery technologies, including lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NCM), tailored to different vehicle types and customer preferences.

CATL’s commitment to innovation and research has led to advances in battery energy density, charging speeds and overall efficiency, pushing the boundaries of electric vehicle capabilities.

One of CATL’s notable achievements is its partnership with Tesla, which supplies batteries for Tesla’s electric vehicles. This collaboration underlines CATL’s reputation for reliability and its ability to meet the stringent requirements of the electric mobility industry.

As the global shift towards electric mobility accelerates, CATL continues to invest heavily in research and development, expand its production capacity and advance battery technologies. The company is also actively involved in the development of energy storage solutions for grid applications, renewable energy integration and stationary energy storage systems.

CATL’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond its products, as the company places great emphasis on environmental responsibility in its manufacturing processes and supply chain management. They are committed to contributing to a greener future by powering electric vehicles and enabling the adoption of renewable energy on a global scale.

CATL is a pioneering force in the lithium-ion battery industry and plays a critical role in the electrification of transportation and clean energy transition. With its cutting-edge technologies and global presence, CATL is poised to remain a key player in the evolving landscape of sustainable energy solutions.

The brain behind this successful venture is a 55-year-old Chinese businessman Robin Zeng. He is also the founder and chairman of the CATL.

Who is Robin Zeng?
• Robin Zeng was born and grew up in Fujian Province, China in 1968
• He holds a Ph.D. in physics from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• He founded Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), a company manufacturing lithium polymer batteries in 1999
• In 2012, Robin Zeng and vice-chairman Huang Shilin spun-off the EV battery operations of ATL into the new company CATL
• Under his leadership, CATL has grown rapidly and made a name for itself in the electric vehicle battery industry.
• The company supplies batteries to major automakers around the world, including Tesla, BMW, Volkswagen and others
• Robin Zeng’s strategic vision has helped CATL expand its global footprint with manufacturing facilities and subsidiaries in Europe, North America and other regions
• In 2017, the company went public on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange
• Robin Zeng is deeply committed to environmental sustainability, emphasising eco-friendly manufacturing processes and promoting the adoption of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions
• He is also involved in research and development efforts to improve battery energy density, charging speed, and overall performance
• As of March 30, 2023, Robin Zeng has a real-time net worth of USD 33.9 billion, according to Forbes

Overcoming Challenges And Obstacles

Robin Zeng has faced numerous challenges and obstacles throughout his career. One of the biggest challenges Zeng faced early in his career was developing lithium-ion battery technology that could compete with established market players. He and his team at CATL worked tirelessly to research and develop new materials and manufacturing processes. Ultimately, they managed to develop a high-performance battery that has received widespread recognition in the industry.

As CATL’s business began to grow rapidly, Zeng was faced with the challenge of increasing production to meet the increasing demand for his company’s products. He invested heavily in expanding production capacity and optimising manufacturing processes and has succeeded in making CATL one of the largest and most efficient battery manufacturers in the world.

As a Chinese company operating in a highly regulated industry, CATL has faced numerous challenges related to compliance with local and international regulations. Zeng has worked closely with government officials and industry stakeholders to ensure CATL meets all regulatory requirements while continuing to innovate and grow.

Perhaps, because of this, he has successfully positioned CATL as a leading player in the global battery industry.

The post Business Leader of the Week: Meet Robin Zeng, China’s battery king appeared first on International Finance.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has pushed for the usage of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, produced mainly by Chinese vendors. He claimed in March 2023 that “the vast bulk of the heavy lifting for electrification will be iron-based cells.”

However, due to the political tensions between Washington and Beijing, having Chinese suppliers develop battery manufacturing in the United States is challenging.

The largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the world stated that LFP batteries would be used for “short-range” heavy electric trucks it refers to as “Semi Light” in its paper on “Master Plan Part 3”. However, it did not provide additional information, such as a launch date.

In 2022 December, Tesla began shipping its semi-electric trucks with nickel-based batteries and a more extended 500-mile range between charges. Tesla has already declared that it will also release a model with a 300-mile range.

The company also said that compared to the 75 kWh of the Model Y and Model 3 batteries, the projected small electric vehicles would have LFP batteries with a capacity of 53 kilowatt-hours (kWh).

In March 2023, Tesla announced that it would slash assembly costs in half for the following models of vehicles that would be produced at its factories in Mexico and other countries.

Tesla stated that LFP batteries would also be used in its mid-sized Model 3 and Model Y vehicles without a timeframe.

Most of Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in the US currently have nickel-based batteries.

Elon Musk and other LFP proponents pointed to the plentiful supply and lower cost of iron as a crucial factor, thus outweighing the disadvantages preventing the widespread deployment of LFP cells. In addition, they have a lesser range than nickel-based cells since they are larger, heavier, and typically carry less energy.

Compared to nickel-based cells, LFP cells typically have a lower fire risk.

Tesla presently purchases LFP batteries from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. in China, a company without a facility in the US. LG Energy Solution, a South Korean supplier to Tesla, announced that the envisioned Arizona factory would produce LFP batteries.

The company will be building a new battery factory in Shanghai, thus increasing its investment in China.

The construction of the facility will start in the third quarter of 2023 and plans are to have it completed by the second quarter of 2024 when production is slated to begin, suggested news reports.

The Shanghai facility will produce some 10,000 Megapacks annually, with a total capacity equivalent to 40 GWh, Tesla said.

China accounts for about a quarter of Tesla’s revenues and Shanghai is already home to the EV maker’s car factory. In February 2023, the factory rolled out close to 90,000 cars.

China reportedly has a much better-developed EV battery supply chain than the other countries, which, as per analysts, might have to do with Tesla’s decision to choose a new factory location in the world’s second-largest economy, as the country also sports lower production costs than alternatives.

Image Credits: Tesla

The post Tesla to switch to iron-based batteries for electric trucks as it beefs up China investments appeared first on International Finance.