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.
Altilium produces first 100pc recycled cells at UK BIC
Altilium produces first 100pc recycled cells at UK BIC
London, 18 March (Argus) — UK-based battery recycler Altilium has produced its first cells using end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries and gigafactory waste at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UK BIC) in Coventry. The cells will now undergo a validation study with a leading carmaker, Altilium said. EU regulations require EV batteries to have minimum levels of recycled lithium, cobalt and nickel from 2031, with the level rising in 2036. "This milestone marks the first time full battery circularity has been achieved in the UK, from recovering critical minerals… to manufacturing a new battery for validation with a leading UK automotive OEM," Altilium chief operating officer Christian Marston said. Altilium's planned recycling plant in Teesside will produce 30,000 t/yr of cathode active material, enough to meet nearly 20pc of forecast UK demand by 2030. Altilium's recycled materials are also of a higher quality than mined materials, and offer significant reductions in climate change impacts and cost, according to research by Imperial College London released last month. Lifecycle analysis has determined that Altilium's recycled materials could have a 74pc smaller climate change impact than primary mined materials from a Chinese supply chain, according to consultancy Minviro. By Chris Welch Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Toyota to build UK battery recycling plant
Toyota to build UK battery recycling plant
London, 18 March (Argus) — Japanese automaker Toyota plans to build a recycling plant in the UK to process spent electric vehicle batteries. The Toyota Circular Factory will be located in Burnaston in Derbyshire, UK, the site of an existing Toyota manufacturing plant which already produces Corolla vehicles. In its first phase, the factory will be able to process 10,000 vehicles each year, recovering the nickel, cobalt, lithium, graphite and other battery materials, as well as recycling other parts of the vehicle. "As a next step for the Toyota Circular Factory concept, we plan to roll out similar operations across Europe," Leon van der Merwe, vice-president of Circular Economy at Toyota Motor Europe, said. "And we're not stopping at our own facilities — we are eager to collaborate with other organisations who share our passion of circularity and commitment to carbon neutrality." Toyota says it is committed to being fully carbon neutral by 2040 and having a 100pc reduction in carbon in its European vehicle line-up by 2035. By Thomas Kavanagh Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
S Korea's automotive output, sales, exports rise in Feb
S Korea's automotive output, sales, exports rise in Feb
Singapore, 18 March (Argus) — South Korea's automotive output, domestic sales and exports rose in February compared with a year earlier, with the country closely monitoring potential US trade measures. The country's auto output rose by 17pc on the year to almost 352,000 units in February, according to South Korea's trade and industry ministry (Motie). Domestic sales rose by 15pc on the year to around 133,000 units, supported by a 30pc reduction on individual consumption tax on passenger cars until the first half of 2025, which has been capped at 1mn Korean won ($690). Exports rose by 17pc on the year to almost 233,000 units, with auto export revenue hitting an all-time high for the month of February at $6.07bn. Motie is planning to collect the automobile industry's opinions on the possibility of US trade measures, and will continue to closely monitor the potential impact and prepare "prompt" response measures, it said on 18 March. Eco-friendly vehicle domestic sales rose sharply by 50pc on the year to about 60,350 units in February, while exports rose by 32pc to almost 69,000 units. Eco-friendly vehicles in South Korea refers to hybrids, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. Hybrid domestic sales were up by 25pc on the year to about 44,600 units, while BEV domestic sales almost quadrupled to about 14,300 units, which Motie attributed to the EV subsidies it introduced in January. The January support measures included additional 20pc subsidies for young South Koreans' first EV and highway toll fees exemptions for EV owners until 2027. But BEV exports in February dipped by 2pc on the year to about 23,150 units, while hybrid exports continued to rise by almost 62pc to about 39,500 units. By Joseph Ho South Korea's car exports in 2025 units South Korea's domestic car sales in 2025 units Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japanese firms invest in French rare earths producer
Japanese firms invest in French rare earths producer
Tokyo, 17 March (Argus) — Japan's state-owned energy agency Jogmec and metal importer Iwatani agreed to jointly invest in Lyon-based French rare earths producer Caremag, aiming to start procuring dysprosium and terbium from as early as 2027. Jogmec and Iwatani will jointly invest as much as €110mn ($120mn) in exchange for securing a term-contract for heavy rare earths (HRE) supply from the French firm, the Japanese consortium announced on 17 March. Iwatani will import around 250 t/yr of dysprosium and 45 t/yr of terbium, a Jogmec representative told Argus , adding that those volumes account for around 20pc of Japan's potential demand of HREs. Delivery from Caremag could start as early as from 2027, according to Jogmec, given commercial operations at the French firm is expected to start sometime in late 2026. Caremag plans to build a rare earth plant in the Lacq industrial park in southwestern France to separate rare earths from 2,000 t/yr of recycled magnets and 5,000 t/yr of raw ore, according to the Japanese ministry of trade and industry (Meti). Tokyo has been trying to diversify supply sources of rare earths that are used for producing permanent magnets, Jogmec said, to reduce Japan's "extremely high dependency on a specific country", possibly referring to China. Jogmec and fellow Japanese trading house Sojitz in 2023 invested in Australia-based Lynas Rare Earths , securing 65pc of Lynas' dysprosium and terbium production. The project with the French firm is part of a wider diversification strategy, according to Jogmec, adding that Japan is aiming to diversify supply sources of rare earths other than dysprosium and terbium. Tokyo in 2022 designated permanent magnets as one of the country's 11 strategically critical items. Tokyo and Paris signed the "Japan-France Declaration on Cooperation in The Field of Critical Minerals" in May 2024, according to Meti, aiming to expand bilateral co-operation on rare earths projects in France. By Yusuke Maekawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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