Europe’s fight to build a local EV and battery supply chain
The recent announcement of funding for 47 strategic project, in line with the EU’s CO2 targets for carmakers in force this year, suggests progress. But after the EU’s tariffs on Chinese EVs, and the US waging its own trade war with China, is Europe’s road to electrification faltering?
Join the Argus Battery Materials team — editor Tom Kavanagh, reporter Chris Welch and analyst Dylan Khoo — in discussing what lies ahead in this fast-evolving market.
Key topics covered:
- The EU’s €22.5bn for 47 critical minerals projects
- China’s investments in Europe’s EV supply chain
- What might a US-China trade war mean for Europe?
- Will the EU meet its CO2 targets for 2035?
Related news
Australian activists challenge Glencore coal expansion
Australian activists challenge Glencore coal expansion
Sydney, 21 May (Argus) — Australian environmentalists have launched court action to block Glencore's planned expansion of its Hail Creek open-cut coal mine in Queensland, citing concerns over methane emissions and native habitat destruction. The Mackay Conservation Group (MCG) lodged an objection against the proposed expansion in the Queensland Land Court on 20 May. The project would extend Hail Creek's mine life by three years, to 2038, and increase total run of mine (ROM) coal production by 24mn t. The mine is currently approved to produce 20mn t/yr of ROM coal. The project is inconsistent with domestic and international climate commitments, MCG said, estimating it would release over 70mn t of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and destroy around 600 hectares (ha) of high-quality koala habitat. The Hail Creek coal mine is regulated under Australia's Safeguard Mechanism, which imposes legislated emissions limits on large facilities, a Glencore spokesperson told Argus . The proposed expansion also includes a GHG emissions abatement plan and detailed mitigation measures for koala habitat, the spokesperson said. Glencore's draft emissions plan outlines the use of existing and emerging technologies to reduce fugitive emissions, including pre-drainage of methane from open-cut operations. Further studies are required to assess the viability of methane pre-drainage, which would be completed within two years of any project approval, the company said. Previous academic studies have indicated that methane emissions from Hail Creek may be four to five times higher than reported. By Emma Partis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU parliament adopts steel safeguards
EU parliament adopts steel safeguards
Brussels, 19 May (Argus) — The European Parliament today adopted the new steel import measure, paving the way for its entry into force by 1 July, subject to final approval by EU member states and publication in the official journal. The regulation , adopted by a large majority, will set tariff-rate quotas of 18.3mn t/yr for steel with an out-of-quota duty set at 50pc for 30 categories of steel products imported to the EU. The European Commission aims to adopt an implementing act by 1 July setting out specific country quotas. EU commissioner Costas Kadis said "intense" discussions are under way in Geneva with more than 20 trading partners. Around 80pc of EU steel imports come from countries with which it has free-trade agreements (FTAs), he said. The commission says safeguards must apply equally to all third countries, including candidate countries such as Ukraine and countries with FTAs. Kadis expects global overcapacity to reach 721mn t by next year, more than five times EU annual steel consumption. Swedish liberal rapporteur Karin Karlsbro criticised the provisions covering Ukrainian steel imports during the parliamentary debate. The commission should help, not punish, Ukraine through the steel safeguards, she said, citing Russian attacks on steelworkers in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro and Kamianske. "Trade policy should be a tool to keep the Ukrainian economy alive while they are defending us," Karlsbro said. Kadis said the decision on Ukraine had not been taken "lightly". Ukraine will receive a country-specific quota that ensures continued steel exports to the EU at levels "lower than before the war". But officials will take account of the country's immediate security situation when setting the quota, he said. French liberal MEP Yvan Verougstraete welcomed the deal for halving import quotas and doubling duties outside tariff-rate quotas. But he called for customs duties on imported cars, saying the use of "cheap, polluting" steel saves Chinese manufacturers €500/car. Polish far-right Patriots member Anna Brylka blamed the commission for the industry's problems, citing high energy costs, climate policy, decarbonisation and the emissions trading system. Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Malaysia launches first grid-connected BESS
Malaysia launches first grid-connected BESS
Singapore, 18 May (Argus) — Malaysia's national grid operation Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) launched the country's first grid-connected battery energy storage system (BESS) today. TNB installed the 100MW/400MWh BESS at its 132/33kV Santong main input substation, located in Dungun, Terengganu. The facility is part of Malaysia's national energy transition roadmap. The new BESS will strengthen the national grid system's stability and reliability, provides faster response to supply-demand imbalances, support peak load management, and enables greater solar energy integration, TNB said. The global BESS market has grown far above expectations in the past few years, with annual deployments rising by 63pc last year to above 300GWh. The roll out of variable renewable energy such as solar energy is a major driver behind the growth in BESS capacity. Global BESS additions are expected to exceed 400GWh this year, according to forecasts by Argus Consulting. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Honda pulls back from EVs due to 'consumer trends'
Honda pulls back from EVs due to 'consumer trends'
London, 14 May (Argus) — Japanese automaker Honda has abandoned its long-standing target to transition entirely to battery electric (BEV) and fuel-cell vehicles by 2040 because of "consumer trends", marking a major retreat from one of the industry's most ambitious electrification strategies. The firm is scrapping its goal for EVs to account for 20pc of sales by 2030 and its commitment to exclusively sell BEVs and fuel-cell vehicles by 2040, as weaker-than-expected EV demand and mounting losses have prompted the company to pivot back towards hybrid vehicles, chief executive Toshihiro Mibe said. Changing consumer trends were a key factor in the decision, as well as severe political upheaval since the beginning of the decade, Honda's head of government affairs, Patrick Keating, said at the FT Future of the Car Summit on 14 May. "Given the slower uptake, changing consumer demands and the focus on hybrids, the announcement this morning is moving away from a technology target to a target that's more about total, lifetime CO2 emission reductions and leaning towards where the consumer is going, which is hybrid," he said. Some regions are reconsidering emissions targets in light of global upheaval, he added. "The EU CO2 targets and UK ZEV [zero-emission vehicle] mandate which we talked about for 2035 were set very much in a different time. Once those targets were set, we then had Ukraine, a new radically different administration in the US, which has global impact." Honda's reversal comes as it reported its first annual loss since listing in 1957. The company posted a net loss of ¥423.9bn ($2.7bn) for the financial year ended March 2026, which was largely driven by more than $9bn in EV-related write-downs and restructuring costs tied to cancelled or delayed electrification projects. Vehicle sales also weakened, with Honda's global automobile deliveries falling to 3.4mn units from 3.7mn units a year earlier, reflecting slowing EV demand and intensifying competition, particularly in China. Honda is now shifting its near-term strategy towards hybrid vehicles, aiming to capitalise on stronger hybrid demand in North America and other key markets. The company signalled this direction in late 2024, when it announced plans to double hybrid sales by 2030 as a "bridge" to full electrification. The company also confirmed it will indefinitely suspend plans to build a comprehensive EV value chain in Canada, a project originally announced in April 2024 and valued at around C$15bn ($11bn). The plan included EV assembly, battery production and battery material processing facilities intended to strengthen Honda's North American EV supply chain. Honda had initially delayed the project by two years in May 2025 because of slower EV demand, but has now moved to suspend the investment indefinitely. By Thomas Kavanagh Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.