Every Monday and Thursday

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

Much of Indonesia's nickel processing is conducted at Morowali Industrial Park on Sulawesi island. Photo: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg
The Electric

The Electric: Playing Unapologetic Hardball, Indonesia Creates a Global Battery Hub

By Steve LeVine · Jul 17, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Welcome back to The Electric! On Thursday: The auto and battery industries have been struck by a stark shortage of lithium and nickel, so how will they make enough lithium-ion batteries to meet anticipated demand for their electric vehicles? One option is a different kind of battery—such as a surprising one containing Prussian blue... Welcome back to The Electric! On Thursday: The auto and battery industries have been struck...
How China Outmaneuvered the West to Control the EV Battery Industry
The Electric

How China Outmaneuvered the West to Control the EV Battery Industry

By Steve LeVine · Jul 14, 2022 4:00am PDT
Next week: When we speak of batteries, we usually mean lithium-ion powered by nickel- or iron-led cathodes. But the yearslong metals shortage ahead of us means the industry must broaden its outlook beyond the usual metals. That's why I'm excited about the next Live Chat, in which I'll host Colin Wessells, CEO of Stanford spinoff Natron... Next week: When we speak of batteries, we usually mean lithium-ion powered by nickel- or...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Drew Baglino, senior vice president for power train, introduce dry battery electrodes on Battery Day in September 2020. Photo: Tesla
The Electric

The Little-Known U.S. Company Challenging Tesla on Batteries

By Steve LeVine · Jul 10, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Welcome back to The Electric!Save the date: Three centuries ago, Prussian blue was a revolutionary hue for painters. Now it’s the main component of one of the most interesting new batteries. For the next Live Chat,  I’m excited to host Colin Wessells, CEO of Stanford spinoff Natron Energy, to discuss the past and future of Prussian blue,... Welcome back to The Electric!Save the date: Three centuries ago, Prussian blue was a...
China wants to increase production of lithium from Qinghai province, shown here. Photo by Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
The Electric: How China Responded to EV Supply-Chain Problems
By Steve LeVine · Jul 7, 2022 11:37am PDT
China wants to increase production of lithium from Qinghai province, shown here. Photo by Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
The Electric

The Electric: How China Responded to EV Supply-Chain Problems

By Steve LeVine · Jul 7, 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.Supply chain disruptions over the past two years have prompted big changes in China’s market for electric vehicles and... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial...
The Electric Quarterly: Should the West Subsidize LFP Production?
The Electric

The Electric Quarterly: Should the West Subsidize LFP Production?

By Steve LeVine · Jul 3, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Save the date: In the battery industry, attention is tightly fixed on nickel, manganese and iron as the basis for batteries, but now a very different material has pushed to the surface: Prussian blue, a material usually associated with famous paintings. To discuss this much-ignored electrode, I'm thrilled to host Colin Wessells, CEO of... Save the date: In the battery industry, attention is tightly fixed on nickel, manganese and iron...
The Electric Newsletter
An exclusive publication covering the nascent battery and electric vehicle revolutions.
By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy
A prototype nine-seat electric jet made by Eviation, an Israeli company. Photo: Courtesy Eviation
The Electric

The Electric: A Search For a Powerful New Battery To Help Electric Planes Fly

By Steve LeVine · Jun 29, 2022 4:00am PDT
Save the date: For three centuries, Prussian blue has been the hue behind some of the world's most famous paintings, including Gainsborough's The Blue Boy and Picasso's Blue Period works. Now, it's the material in one of the most inventive new batteries. For the next Live Chat With The Electric, I'm excited to welcome Colin Wessells, CEO of... Save the date: For three centuries, Prussian blue has been the hue behind some of the world's...
Byd's cell-to-pack Blade battery, clashing with the typical boxy or cylindrical cell shape. Photo: Kyodo/AP
The Electric

The Electric: China Engineers a Lead on an Important Battery Technology

By Steve LeVine · Jun 26, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Welcome back to The Electric! For years lithium-iron-phosphate was a has-been battery—once heralded by automakers but then left behind by nickel-based chemistries that delivered greater electric vehicle range. Then Chinese companies figured out how to pack LFP densely into cells, and the iron-based chemistry staged a comeback. This week, we... Welcome back to The Electric! For years lithium-iron-phosphate was a has-been battery—once...
Nio plans to offer a car with solid-state batteries by the end of the year. Photo by Bloomberg.
The Electric: Solid-State Batteries Are All the Rage—Except in China
By Steve LeVine · Jun 24, 2022 5:00am PDT
Nio plans to offer a car with solid-state batteries by the end of the year. Photo by Bloomberg.
The Electric

The Electric: Solid-State Batteries Are All the Rage—Except in China

By Steve LeVine · Jun 24, 2022 5:00am PDT
Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance 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.Investors worldwide are pouring billions of dollars into companies such as QuantumScape, Solid Power and... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance researcher specializing in Chinese...
Buyers of the coming Sony-Honda electric vehicle should have access to Sony's film library, including the James Bond franchise. Photo: Courtesy MGM
The Electric

The Electric: Inside the Battle Over the EV Dashboard

By Steve LeVine · Jun 19, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Welcome back to The Electric! Automakers and tech companies are at war for who will control the profit from the sale of electric vehicles this decade. The assumption is that paid monthly subscriptions for software delivered over the air to EVs will generate much of the earnings. This week, we interrogate that assumption, and point out that... Welcome back to The Electric! Automakers and tech companies are at war for who will control...
The separator that QuantumScape claims prevents dendrites. Photo: QuantumScape
The Electric

The Electric: An Executive Departure Rocks a Highly Touted Battery Maker

By Steve LeVine · Jun 14, 2022 3:37pm PDT
For almost two years, QuantumScape, a prominent U.S. next-generation battery company, has counseled investors to be patient while it builds factories to manufacture lithium-metal batteries that would increase electric vehicle range by up to 50%. By 2024 or 2025, it said, its batteries will be ready to power electric automobiles made by... For almost two years, QuantumScape, a prominent U.S. next-generation battery company, has...
The Electric Newsletter
An exclusive publication covering the nascent battery and electric vehicle revolutions.
By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy
The Mercedes-Benz electric EQS. Photo: Bernd Wei'brod/picture-alliance/dpa/AP
The Electric

Mercedes and the Knife Fight That’s Coming to the Luxury EV Market

By Steve LeVine · Jun 12, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Welcome back to The Electric!After a pioneer blazes a trail, copycats follow, hoping to reap the same riches. So it is in the nascent electric vehicles industry, which is crowded with ultra-luxury models hoping to replicate Tesla's success with the expensive Roadster. But one automaker's foray into the top end is not imitation, because it can... Welcome back to The Electric!After a pioneer blazes a trail, copycats follow, hoping to reap the...
Rendering of the battery inside the chassis of Leapmotor's C01. Courtesy of Leapmotor.
The Electric: Chinese EV Makers Move to Pack More Batteries Into a Car
By Steve LeVine · Jun 7, 2022 5:30am PDT
Rendering of the battery inside the chassis of Leapmotor's C01. Courtesy of Leapmotor.
The Electric

The Electric: Chinese EV Makers Move to Pack More Batteries Into a Car

By Steve LeVine · Jun 7, 2022 5:30am PDT
Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance 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.Makers of batteries for electric vehicles have made tremendous strides in the past decade by adjusting battery... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance researcher specializing in Chinese...
Massive volumes of lithium are found amid the salt of Calama, Chile, but a huge shortfall of the metal is still forecast for the 2020s. Photo: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg
The Electric

The Electric: The World of EVs and Batteries Is in Chaos. So Why Are These Analysts So Darn Optimistic?

By Steve LeVine · Jun 5, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Welcome back to The Electric! For a year, the electric vehicle and battery industries have faced a growing list of troubles, especially over snags in their respective supply chains. But through the industries' ups and downs, one voice has remained bullish—that of BloombergNEF, the renewable energy research firm. This week, we explore ... Welcome back to The Electric! For a year, the electric vehicle and battery industries have...
The Lilium Jet. Photo: Courtesy Lilium Air Mobility
The Electric

The Electric: A Troubled Air Taxi Company Attempts to Answer Its Critics

By Steve LeVine · Jun 3, 2022 4:00am PDT
On Sunday, we discussed the race to commercialize air taxis, and the challenges that make it likely that the industry will be smaller than a lot of the companies suggest. One particularly challenged company is Germany’s Lilium Air Mobility, which has been plagued by doubts over whether the unusual design of its electric air taxi makes the... On Sunday, we discussed the race to commercialize air taxis, and the challenges that make it...
The Byd Seal, part of its Ocean line of EVs.
The Electric

The Electric: How Byd Became the Best-Selling Carmaker in China

By Steve LeVine · May 31, 2022 5:30am PDT
Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance 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 automaker Byd in April became the first homegrown brand in 36 years to lead the nation in sales,... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance researcher specializing in Chinese...
The Electric Newsletter
An exclusive publication covering the nascent battery and electric vehicle revolutions.
By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy
The Archer Maker eVTOL. Photo: Courtesy Archer
The Electric: Electric Air Taxis Are Coming, but Not How Backers Envision Them
By Steve LeVine · May 29, 2022 2:00pm PDT
The Archer Maker eVTOL. Photo: Courtesy Archer
The Electric

The Electric: Electric Air Taxis Are Coming, but Not How Backers Envision Them

By Steve LeVine · May 29, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Welcome back to The Electric!On Thursday: The most-consulted compendium of data on batteries and electric vehicles is the annual BloombergNEF New Energy Outlook. This week, BNEF will release its 2022 industry forecast. Right afterward, we will discuss it with Colin McKerracher, BNEF’s head of auto and transport analysis, who leads the analytical... Welcome back to The Electric!On Thursday: The most-consulted compendium of data on batteries and...
Musk and Drew Baglino, his chief of powertrain, revealed the 4680 battery concept on Battery Day, in September 2020. Photo: Courtesy Tesla
The Electric

There’s a New Contender to Replicate Tesla’s 4680 Battery

By Steve LeVine · May 26, 2022 4:00am PDT
Save the date: Next week, BloombergNEF releases its much-anticipated annual outlook on electric vehicles, batteries, and the new mobility. To discuss it, join BNEF's Colin McKerracher and me for Live Chat With The Electric. McKerracher, BNEF's head of advanced transport, oversees the outlook, and you can ask your own questions of him. June 2 at... Save the date: Next week, BloombergNEF releases its much-anticipated annual outlook on electric...
After a Decade of Declines, EV Battery Costs Are To Rise 14% This Year
The Electric

After a Decade of Declines, EV Battery Costs Are To Rise 14% This Year

By Steve LeVine · May 24, 2022 11:08am PDT
The abrupt electrification of the auto industry has been fueled in large part by a steep drop in the cost of their batteries, bringing the price of electric cars closer to parity with traditional vehicles. But the International Energy Agency says those declines are about to end—and reverse.A surge in the price of critical metals is on track to... The abrupt electrification of the auto industry has been fueled in large part by a steep drop in...
In 1770, Thomas Gainsborough unveiled what came to be called "The Blue Boy," in which he used Prussian blue. Photo: Courtesy The Huntington
The Electric

Getting Ready for the Next-Next EV Battery

By Steve LeVine · May 22, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Welcome back to The Electric! This is the second of our two-part series on the surprisingly fast arrival of next-generation battery technologies. Last week we looked at the imminent commercialization of electric vehicles powered by high-concentration silicon anodes. This week we turn to the even more unexpected debut of sodium-ion batteries... Welcome back to The Electric! This is the second of our two-part series on the surprisingly...
The Rivian R1T, with its pullout kitchen. Photo: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg
Think EVs Are Expensive? Try Buying a Used One
By Steve LeVine · May 19, 2022 4:00am PDT
The Rivian R1T, with its pullout kitchen. Photo: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg
The Electric

Think EVs Are Expensive? Try Buying a Used One

By Steve LeVine · May 19, 2022 4:00am PDT
The automobile industry has been hit harder than almost any sector by the pandemic-led upheaval in the global supply chain. For more than a year, automakers have been forced to scale back production because of shortages of chips, lithium-ion batteries and other parts, leading most recently to steep drops in revenue and their share prices. One... The automobile industry has been hit harder than almost any sector by the pandemic-led upheaval...