The Electric by Steve LeVine — The Information

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The Electric

By Steve LeVine

The Electric is a publication from Steve LeVine and The Information focused on crucial industries for the energy transition, including next-generation batteries, electric vehicles and autonomous driving. The newsletter is only for subscribers of The Information.

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Recent Editions

To make green hydrogen, electricity is applied to water in an electrolyzer. Photo: Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg

The Electric: Hydrogen Is Again Confounding the Dreams of Its Promoters

By Steve LeVine · Oct 30, 2022 2:00pm PDT

This Tuesday: The global lithium shortage stands to severely stunt the production of electric vehicles through the end of the decade. To discuss how the industry is responding—and China's dominance of the supply chain—I'm excited to host Eric Norris, president for lithium at Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, for the next Live Chat... This Tuesday: The global lithium shortage stands to severely stunt the production of electric...

Biden announces the initial grants from the $135 billion pot to build a U.S. battery supply chain. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg

The Electric: How the Biden Administration Should Interpret the New Battery Law

By Steve LeVine · Oct 23, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: Automakers face a massive shortage of lithium this decade, hobbling their plans to produce millions of electric vehicles. To discuss how the lithium mining industry is responding, I'm excited to host Eric Norris, president of lithium at Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, for the next Live Chat With The Electric... Save the date: Automakers face a massive shortage of lithium this decade, hobbling their...

At Silver Peak, concentrated lithium turns the last in a string of ponds an eerie blue. Photo: The Electric

The Electric: In Remote Nevada, Evidence of the Decade’s Lithium Shortage

By Steve LeVine · Oct 16, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: The world is in a lithium shortage, and looks likely to remain so for at least the remainder of the decade. This is bad news for those hoping for a fast and massive shift to electric vehicles. To plumb why the industry hasn't managed to move more rapidly, and what it can do to turn things around, I'm delighted to host Eric Norris,... Save the date: The world is in a lithium shortage, and looks likely to remain so for at least the...

Headquarters of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., poised to remain the world's largest battery producer through the 2020s, in Ningde, China. Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

The Electric: The U.S. Is Ramping Up. China Is Ramping Up Faster

By Steve LeVine · Oct 9, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Headquarters of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., poised to remain the world's largest battery producer through the 2020s, in Ningde, China. Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

The Electric: The U.S. Is Ramping Up. China Is Ramping Up Faster

By Steve LeVine · Oct 9, 2022 2:00pm PDT

In recent months, the U.S. and Europe have taken enormous steps to eliminate China's near-monopoly on lithium-ion batteries, the strategic heart of electric vehicles, as the industry begins to take off. But this week we look at the reality that China's dominance of batteries is likely only to become greater by the end of the decade, and that... In recent months, the U.S. and Europe have taken enormous steps to eliminate China's...

The Electric Quarterly: China Inc. in the U.S.?

The Electric Quarterly: China Inc. in the U.S.?

By Steve LeVine · Oct 2, 2022 2:00pm PDT

The Biden Administration has allocated about $100 billion to establish a U.S. battery supply chain and thwart a Chinese stranglehold on the industry. Will the U.S. now allow Chinese companies to open factories in the U.S.? This week, we look at an attempt by Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion High-Tech to build a gigafactory in a Michigan... The Biden Administration has allocated about $100 billion to establish a U.S. battery supply...

Talon Metals workers examine nickel cores from the company's Tamarack mine in central Minnesota. Photo: Courtesy Talon Metals

The Electric: The Next Hurdle for a U.S. Battery Industry: Talent

By Steve LeVine · Sep 25, 2022 2:00pm PDT

For more than a year, automobile and battery manufacturers have fretted over a stark shortage of raw materials, and how that will prevent them from making all the electric vehicles they plan this decade. This week we look at another major bottleneck they are wrestling with: labor. The U.S. and Europe simply don't have enough people who know how... For more than a year, automobile and battery manufacturers have fretted over a stark shortage of...

From the first electric vehicle era: The 1922 Detroit Electric Model 90, in the lobby of Our Next Energy, could go up to 50 miles on a charge. Photo: The Electric

The Electric: Automakers Are Suddenly Serious About Next-Generation Batteries

By Steve LeVine · Sep 18, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Last week, greater Detroit hosted two big industry conferences—The Battery Show and the Detroit auto show. The tone at both suggested that the new Inflation Reduction Act, which allocates about $100 billion for electric vehicles and batteries, has triggered a sea change among automakers, which are suddenly ultra-eager to sign contracts for the... Last week, greater Detroit hosted two big industry conferences—The Battery Show and the Detroit...

On Saturday in Haiphong, Vietnam, VinFast unveiled the first electric vehicles it will deliver to the U.S. and Europe in the coming weeks. Photo: Yen Duong/Bloomberg

The Electric: Vietnam Has Made a Surprising EV—but it Will Have to Drop the Price

By Steve LeVine · Sep 11, 2022 2:00pm PDT

On Saturday in Haiphong, Vietnam, VinFast unveiled the first electric vehicles it will deliver to the U.S. and Europe in the coming weeks. Photo: Yen Duong/Bloomberg

The Electric: Vietnam Has Made a Surprising EV—but it Will Have to Drop the Price

By Steve LeVine · Sep 11, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Thanks to The Electric community for the terrifically successful first-anniversary Live Chat with China expert Bob Galyen on Thursday. For those who missed it, we will post a recording here later this week.This week, we examine a new Asian electric vehicle aspirant in the West—not China, but Vietnam. VinFast plans to deliver its first electric... Thanks to The Electric community for the terrifically successful first-anniversary Live Chat with...

Biden signed the climate bill, containing about $100 billion for batteries, on Aug. 16. To his left, Sens. Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg

The Electric: The U.S. Is Making Innovative Batteries. Will China Make Them Irrelevant?

By Steve LeVine · Sep 4, 2022 2:00pm PDT

This Thursday: The Electric celebrates its 1-year anniversary with a special Live Chat featuring Bob Galyen, one of the foremost experts on establishing a battery supply chain. Bob is the former chief technology officer of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., or CATL, the Chinese battery giant, and is now a major force in standing up a... This Thursday: The Electric celebrates its 1-year anniversary with a special Live Chat featuring...

Jeff Dahn at his Dalhousie University lab. Photo: Courtesy Dalhousie University

The Electric: The Battery That Could Move Motorists to Connect to the Grid

By Steve LeVine · Aug 28, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: Our 1-year anniversary is coming up. As a thanks to you, we are celebrating with a special subscribers-only event on perhaps the most important challenge facing the industry—building a battery supply chain not reliant on China. Our guest for this September 8 live chat is Bob Galyen, a foremost leader of the U.S. effort to... Save the date: Our 1-year anniversary is coming up. As a thanks to you, we are celebrating...

Thacker Pass, Nev., the site of a four-year struggle by Lithium Americas to develop a lithium mine. Photo: Suzanne Featherston/The Daily Free Press/AP

The Electric: The Climate Bill Sparks Two New Political Battles

By Steve LeVine · Aug 25, 2022 4:00am PDT

Save the date: On September 8, we celebrate our first anniversary with a special event on perhaps the most important challenge facing the industry—building a battery supply chain independent of China. Our guest for this 3 p.m. ET live chat will be Bob Galyen, former chief technology officer of China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., the... Save the date: On September 8, we celebrate our first anniversary with a special event on perhaps...

In a shot over the bow, Toyota—after decades of watching U.S. automakers—became the third best-selling auto line in the U.S. with the $1,780 Corona. Photo: AP

The Electric: To Get Its Battery Supply Chain, the U.S. Will Have to Mimic China

By Steve LeVine · Aug 21, 2022 2:00pm PDT

In a shot over the bow, Toyota—after decades of watching U.S. automakers—became the third best-selling auto line in the U.S. with the $1,780 Corona. Photo: AP

The Electric: To Get Its Battery Supply Chain, the U.S. Will Have to Mimic China

By Steve LeVine · Aug 21, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: A year ago, we launched The Electric to cover one of the most important—and least reported—new sectors in technology: batteries and electric vehicles. On September 8, we’ll celebrate our anniversary with a special event on perhaps the most important challenge facing the industry—building a battery supply chain independent of... Save the date: A year ago, we launched The Electric to cover one of the most important—and least...

A cell stacker in the Enovix factory. Photo: Courtesy Enovix

The Electric: A Next-Gen Battery Maker Ignites an 82% Stock Price Runup With Real Revenue

By Steve LeVine · Aug 17, 2022 4:00am PDT

Save the date: A year ago, we launched The Electric to cover one of the most important—and least reported—new sectors in technology: batteries and electric vehicles. On Sept. 8, we’ll celebrate our anniversary with a special event on perhaps the most important challenge facing the industry—building a battery supply chain that’s not reliant on... Save the date: A year ago, we launched The Electric to cover one of the most important—and least...

The Voyah Free SUV is among the challengers to Tesla's luxury crown in China. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Electric: Homegrown Brands Challenge Tesla’s Lock on China’s Luxury EV Market

By Steve LeVine · Aug 15, 2022 5:00am PDT

Today's column is by Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial policies. Since 2017, he has focused on the Chinese EV market, as well as smart cities, urban logistics and battery recycling management. The emergence of electric vehicles in the past decade offered Chinese automakers—viewed as producing low-quality... Today's column is by Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial policies....

A nickel mine in Indonesia, which is not among the countries included in a bill that attempts to create a non-Chinese supply chain for EV batteries. Photo: Bloomberg.

The Electric: The U.S. Finally Gets Serious About the EV Battery Supply Chain

By Steve LeVine · Aug 7, 2022 2:00pm PDT

I am on vacation next week. The Electric will be dark next Sunday, Aug. 14, and return Aug. 21.As China has increasingly bolstered its lead in the global electric vehicle and battery race, it has seemed as though the U.S. is standing still: While Chinese companies have added every more battery manufacturing capacity, U.S. automakers and... I am on vacation next week. The Electric will be dark next Sunday, Aug. 14, and return Aug. 21.As...

Rivian delivery vans built for Amazon. Photo: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg

The Electric: Amid the Carnage of EV Startups, New Funds for Battery Makers

By Steve LeVine · Jul 31, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Rivian delivery vans built for Amazon. Photo: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg

The Electric: Amid the Carnage of EV Startups, New Funds for Battery Makers

By Steve LeVine · Jul 31, 2022 2:00pm PDT

We’re planning our first major event for The Electric, a half-day of hard-core battery discussion before the end of the year. If you’re interested in sponsorship, please contact my colleagues at [email protected]. After a heady two years, electric vehicle and battery stocks have plunged in value as investors have shunned them.... We’re planning our first major event for The Electric, a half-day of hard-core battery discussion...

A Byd showroom in Beijing. The company led all automakers in sales in China in the first half of 2022. Photo by Bloomberg

The Electric: Foreign Automakers Prepare to Challenge Chinese Brands on Their Home Turf

By Steve LeVine · Jul 28, 2022 11:37am PDT

Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial policies. Since 2017, he has focused on the Chinese EV market, as well as smart cities, urban logistics and battery recycling management.Chinese makers of electric vehicles are enjoying their best year for domestic sales in three years, as foreign EV... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial...

Goodenough, seated, last Friday at his birthday celebration. Photo: Venkat Viswanathan

The Electric: The Battery Industry Threw a 100th Birthday Party For Its Father

By Steve LeVine · Jul 24, 2022 2:00pm PDT

In 1991, the first portable electronic device hit the market. It was a Sony hand-held video camera, and it was an immediate sensation. The secret behind the camera was a powerful new battery—lithium-ion. Since then, the battery and others like it have revolutionized how we live, enabling devices like the iPhone, laptops, ear buds, and of course... In 1991, the first portable electronic device hit the market. It was a Sony hand-held video...

Starting late next year, Ford will introduce a lithium-ion-phosphate battery with cell-to-pack technology in its flagship electric Mustang Mach E SUV. Photo: Courtesy Ford

The Electric: Ford Tries to Allay Supply Chain Worries, but Some Are Skeptical

By Steve LeVine · Jul 22, 2022 4:00am PDT

Amid an acute shortage of key metals for electric vehicle batteries, Ford wants to show that it has assured its needed supplies. But many of its key deals are a lot less than certain. In a call with analysts and reporters on Thursday, Ford announced a slew of signed and potential supply chain deals—negotiations for nickel from Indonesia, a... Amid an acute shortage of key metals for electric vehicle batteries, Ford wants to show that it...

The Hongguang Mini is one of the world's best selling electric vehicles.

The Electric: China Tweaks Its Incentives for EVs

By Steve LeVine · Jul 21, 2022 5:00am PDT

The Hongguang Mini is one of the world's best selling electric vehicles.

The Electric: China Tweaks Its Incentives for EVs

By Steve LeVine · Jul 21, 2022 5:00am PDT

Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial policies. Since 2017, he has focused on the Chinese EV market, as well as smart cities, urban logistics and battery recycling management. China looks like a success story in the global move to electric vehicles. More EVs were sold in China last year... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial...