Photo: Sprung Structures
As Lithium Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) batteries became more popular, more manufacturers are interested in building production facilities in the U.S. As of now, China is the main producer of such batteries, but the situation is set to change fast.
Lithium Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) batteries were mostly unknown outside China until Tesla started using them to power the base RWD version of their Model 3. Despite the lower energy density, LFP batteries proved quite good actually, having key advantages compared to their nickel-based counterparts. Among them is their unusually long lifecycle, but also their solid safety.
Most LFP batteries are produced in China for now, but it shouldn’t take long before other battery makers notice that something is going on with this chemistry that makes it very popular. Tesla will extend the LFP batteries to other models in its lineup, that’s for sure, and when this will happen it will look for suitable suppliers closer to home. Right now, CATL is Tesla’s main supplier of LFP batteries in China, but soon there will be intense competition.
American Battery Factory (ABF) is a new company that has plans to set up a network of LFP battery gigafactories across the U.S. The company was incubated by Lion Energy, a mobile battery and solar generator provider that reported $100 million in sales last year. ABF is shooting for the moon here, but the experience that Lion Energy has with LFP batteries might prove crucial for its plans.
ABF said that its LFP batteries would qualify for “US-made” requirements under DoE plans for EV development and battery supply chain. ABF plans to manufacture LFP batteries in “factory in a box” facilities supplied by Sprung Structures that can be erected in weeks. The expandable structures would allow such factories to easily scale from 3 GWh to 15 GWh annually.
The main applications are in grid-scale, commercial, and residential energy storage, but also select EVs like trucks, agricultural vehicles, trams, and e-bikes, among others. Another sensitive application could be in the defense sector, with the benefit of reducing foreign dependence. The main advantage of LFP batteries is their lack of nickel or cobalt, expensive materials that are even harder to come by since the Ukrainian war started.
Most LFP batteries are produced in China for now, but it shouldn’t take long before other battery makers notice that something is going on with this chemistry that makes it very popular. Tesla will extend the LFP batteries to other models in its lineup, that’s for sure, and when this will happen it will look for suitable suppliers closer to home. Right now, CATL is Tesla’s main supplier of LFP batteries in China, but soon there will be intense competition.
American Battery Factory (ABF) is a new company that has plans to set up a network of LFP battery gigafactories across the U.S. The company was incubated by Lion Energy, a mobile battery and solar generator provider that reported $100 million in sales last year. ABF is shooting for the moon here, but the experience that Lion Energy has with LFP batteries might prove crucial for its plans.
ABF said that its LFP batteries would qualify for “US-made” requirements under DoE plans for EV development and battery supply chain. ABF plans to manufacture LFP batteries in “factory in a box” facilities supplied by Sprung Structures that can be erected in weeks. The expandable structures would allow such factories to easily scale from 3 GWh to 15 GWh annually.
The main applications are in grid-scale, commercial, and residential energy storage, but also select EVs like trucks, agricultural vehicles, trams, and e-bikes, among others. Another sensitive application could be in the defense sector, with the benefit of reducing foreign dependence. The main advantage of LFP batteries is their lack of nickel or cobalt, expensive materials that are even harder to come by since the Ukrainian war started.
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