Battery materials
Overview
Growth in global electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) production has put a spotlight on battery materials. While lithium-ion batteries dominate the current market, this is a rapidly emerging technology space where improved range or charge times can quicky shift industry sentiment and investment in a different direction.
Argus is at the forefront of battery materials pricing and reporting with coverage of common battery metals (lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite), industry-grade cathodes and black mass. As experts in specialty metals and rare earths, we future-proof our price assessment portfolio with a range of electronic metals crucial to the manufacture of technology deployed in modern vehicles.
Our Argus Battery Materials and Argus Non-Ferrous Markets services help businesses to understand these complicated supply chains, including price volatility and sustainability challenges around future demand.
Minor metals: Battery metals
As automakers continue to invest in electric vehicle production and power companies explore infrastructure that includes energy storage programmes, the metals contained in lithium-ion batteries supporting these products has attracted interest from investors, institutions and manufacturers alike.
Argus is well positioned to provide insight into price volatility, global supply and responsible material sourcing for all manufacturers and investors in this sector.
Highlights of Argus battery materials coverage
- Understand the context of significant price movements and industry trends with a weekly PDF that highlights the most important market news across lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel and other common battery materials
- Mitigate risk and perform reliable forward planning with 1-year and 10-year forecasts across different battery metals, chemistries and industries
- Gain a competitive edge with industry-specific tools, such as the Black Mass Calculator that estimates the intrinsic value of different battery chemistries (including cathodes like NCM111, NCM523, LFP, NCA)
- Invest with confidence knowing Argus is IOSCO-compliant with over 50 years of experience delivering trusted price data and market intelligence
Latest battery materials news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global battery materials industry.
Thailand to extend BEV production commitment deadline
Thailand to extend BEV production commitment deadline
Singapore, 4 December (Argus) — Thailand's National Electric Vehicle Policy Board has approved an extension for battery electric vehicle (BEV) producers, which were supposed to fulfil their production commitment this year, according to the country's Board of Investment (BOI). BEV manufacturers received subsidies under the country's first phase of EV promotion measures — also called the EV 3.0 measures — and were supposed to produce one BEV this year for every vehicle they imported between 2022-23. The ratio will rise to 1½ BEV in 2025 for every imported vehicle. The unfulfilled portion of the production commitment will now roll over and manufacturers are required to instead follow the conditions under its second phase of EV promotion measures , the EV 3.5 measures. The portion that was not completed will not receive subsidies under either package, said BOI on 4 December. Subsidies under the EV 3.5 measures will "come into force" after those production commitments have been fulfilled. About 26 car manufacturers have applied to the incentive schemes, according to BOI. Thailand's Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) cut the country's 2024 auto output estimation twice this year. The estimation was cut from 1.9mn units to 1.7mn units in July, and once more to 1.5mn units in November. Thailand's total vehicle output in January-October came in at nearly 1.25mn units, down by 19pc compared to the same period a year earlier, according to FTI. October's vehicle output fell by 25pc on the year to 118,800 units, domestic sales dropped by 36pc to about 37,700 units and exports were down by 20pc to around 84,300 units. The country has produced 8,026 units of battery passenger cars, 159,176 units of hybrid passenger cars and 5,067 units of plug-in hybrid passenger cars over January-October, according to FTI. Cumulative registrations of battery passenger cars reached 213,173 units as of end-October, while that of hybrid passenger cars reached 455,364 units. The National Electric Vehicle Policy Board in July approved a temporary reduction of excise tax rate for hybrid EVs from 2028-32 on the conditions of car manufacturers investing in Thailand and adhering to strict vehicle CO2 emission requirements, which it said is expected to bring in around 50bn baht ($1.4bn) of new investments. Excise tax rates of between 6-9pc were set depending on HEVs' CO2 emission requirements. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
W Australia backs troubled lithium miners with $97mn
W Australia backs troubled lithium miners with $97mn
Singapore, 27 November (Argus) — The Western Australia (WA) government will support the region's embattled lithium mining firms, which have found themselves stuck in a lithium price slump this year, by waiving fees and offering loans through a A$150mn ($97mn) support package. "This package will provide important temporary and responsible support for WA's fledgling lithium industry, taking into account the extremely challenging market conditions it is facing," WA premier Roger Cook said on 27 November. The package includes waiving up to two years of "government fees" totalling A$90mn to support the continuation of downstream lithium processing. Up to two years of port charges and mining tenement fees totalling A$9.37mn will also be waived. A A$50mn loan facility that offers lithium miners temporary interest-free loans will also be set up, the state government said. The loans will cease to be interest-free after average lithium spodumene prices rise above $1,100/t for two successive quarters, or by 30 June 2026 if prices remain below this threshold. Multiple lithium firms operating in the region — from Mineral Resources , Liontown to Pilbara — have this year been forced to cut output, shut down part of their operations or slow expansion plans under the lithium downturn that has persisted for most of 2024. Lithium prices, which appeared to have bottomed out in October, have recently risen. Argus -assessed prices for 6pc grade lithium concentrate (spodumene) rose to $800-880/t cif China on 26 November from $800-850/t cif China on 19 November. But prices have crashed from an all-time high of $5,875/t cif China in November 2022. The lithium outlook for January-March 2025 remains largely pessimistic, said an Australian spodumene producer. The earlier output adjustments announced by Australian spodumene miners, which partly drove the rise in prices, could potentially be reversed if the price uptrend persists for three months. But these decisions heavily depend on market demand, the miner said. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Vietnam’s Vinfast 3Q EV deliveries rise, eyes new plant
Vietnam’s Vinfast 3Q EV deliveries rise, eyes new plant
Singapore, 27 November (Argus) — Vietnam-based electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Vinfast Auto is on track to meet its delivery goal for the year and plans to build an assembly plant in the country after posting firm July-September delivery figures. Vinfast delivered around 21,900 EVs during the quarter, more than double compared with the same period a year earlier and up by 66pc on the quarter, according to its latest quarterly results. Vinfast has delivered more than 51,000 EVs during January-October, having delivered more than 11,000 to its customers in Vietnam in October. "We expect to finish 2024 on a strong note and meet our 80,000-vehicle delivery target, as the momentum in [the third quarter] has continued into [the fourth quarter]," chairwoman of Vinfast's board of directors Le Thi Thu Thuy said. Vinfast lowered its 2024 EV delivery goal from the 100,000 units it set earlier this year . It missed its delivery goal of 40,000-50,000 units last year. The firm plans to build a new plant in Vietnam's Ha Tinh, which it is targeting to have an annual assembly capacity of 300,000 units. Construction is expected to begin in early December and operations to begin in 2025. The bold expansion plan comes after Vinfast received a massive funding pledge earlier this month from its parent company Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup and its chairman Pham Nhat Vuong. Vinfast is poised to receive $3.6bn in funding in free grants and loans until the end of 2026 under the new round of financial backing, which includes a $2.1bn personal sponsorship pledge from Pham. Pham last year gifted near the entirety of Vietnamese battery manufacturer VinES Energy Solutions to Vinfast for no consideration. Vinfast has been loss-making and posted a net loss of $550mn in July-September, which narrowed by 15pc on the year and 29pc on the quarter. Its revenue during the quarter was up by almost half compared with the same period a year earlier to around $512mn. Vinfast racked up $2.4bn of net losses in 2023. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Novonix to supply graphite to VW’s PowerCo in 2027
Novonix to supply graphite to VW’s PowerCo in 2027
London, 26 November (Argus) — Synthetic graphite maker Novonix has agreed to supply a minimum of 32,000t of synthetic graphite to Volkswagen subsidiary and battery maker PowerCo under a five-year offtake agreement, starting in 2027. The offtake agreement follows a deal agreed in May for developing and testing of Novonix's material. Volkswagen founded PowerCo in 2022 and the firm has factories in Ontario , Salzgitter and Valencia under construction, with a planned capacity of up to 200 GWh/yr. In September, the firm scaled back construction plans to just one of two planned production lines at the Salzgitter plant on slowing electric vehicle (EV) demand. Novonix is currently building a manufacturing facility in Tennessee with planned output of up to 20,000 t/yr of synthetic graphite. It plans to expand capacity at the plant to 40,000 t/yr by 2025 and 150,000 t/yr by 2030 after being awarded a $100mn grant from the US Department of Energy and a $103mn tax credit for the facility. The firm in February signed an offtake agreement with Japanese battery maker Panasonic for 10,000 t/yr of synthetic graphite over four years over 2025-28. By Chris Welch Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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Explore our battery materials and related products
Take advantage of the battery materials trend and manage your price risk exposure with reliable market intelligence, industry-specifics tools and outlooks that inform your long-term strategy in EVs, energy storage and other battery spaces.
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