CATL says its new 5C batteries will retain 80% of their capacity after 1,400 charge-discharge cycles at 140F (60C). With a theoretical range of 372 miles (600 km) per cycle, that works out to a total of 522,000 miles (840,000 km) in what CATL describes as Dubai summer heat. At a milder ambient temperature of 68F (20C), which is closer to the ideal operating temperature for lithium-ion batteries,
Sila, the battery materials startup, started operations Tuesday at its facility in Moses Lake, Washington. The factory, which will initially be capable of making enough battery materials for 20,000 to 50,000 EVs, is the first large-scale silicon anode factory in the West, and future expansion could fulfill demand for as many as 2.5 million vehicles. Silicon anodes promise to improve the energy density of lithium-ion batteries by as much as 50%. The technology, which Sila has been working on for the past 14 years, could be the best chance for the U.S. to gain the upper hand in a global race for battery supremacy, Sila co-founder and CEO Gene Berdichevsky argues.