California’s battery developer OneD Battery Sciences has struck a strategic partnership with German battery manufacturer Customcells. The companies have agreed to develop and deliver BEV prototype cells to a global automotive OEM. And, OneD is setting up shop in Europe.
Staying with the partnership, OneD and Customcells specify that it is project-based, however, without giving much detail on the initial joint project. Instead, Customcells said it was now supporting OneD in the industrialisation of cells with Sinanode technology on a large scale. OneD, on the other hand, will leverage Customcells’ development expertise for an automotive application – of an unknown kind.
A quick throwback – OneD’s so-called Sinanode technology has silicon nanowires fused directly onto graphite powder in the anode at the core. The company claims this offers scope for customisation in graphite (natural or synthetic) and electrode coating (wet or dry). Moreover, these anodes could allow a fourfold increase in charging speed while simultaneously reducing the cost of electric car batteries, according to OneD.
As for industrialisation, OneD has been working towards it for some time. “OneD’s goal has always been to make silicon a viable material for a new era of electric vehicles,” said CTO Yimin Zhu. He added the company’s belief that effectively adding more silicon to the battery cell at a low cost without disrupting existing supply chains and processes would be a decisive factor in future EV development. The CTO also expressed a “great deal of enthusiasm” for the cooperation with Customcells. “This partnership will allow us to further accelerate the adoption of low-cost electric vehicles.”
This, however, appears slightly at odds with another statement made by Dr Dirk Abendroth, CEO of Customcells, today. While he also welcomed the partnership, he mentioned customised premium battery cells as the key to sustainable mobility rather than low-cost EVs. The company reportedly collaborates closely with Porsche as part of the Cellforce Group joint venture.
But enough of speculation; the plans in Germany were not the only news. OneD also announced expanding its cell pilot production in Moses Lake, Washington and established a subsidiary in Germany called Sinanode Europe GmbH.
The subsidiary is headquartered in Munich. Jan-Marc Luchies, previously of Infineon, will serve as Chief Operating Officer of the new company. Luchies’ focus will be overseeing the global pilot production and driving manufacturing strategies.
How far this will be in line with Customcells remains to be seen. The company in 2022 announced plans for at least two more battery cell factories in Germany. The two factories expand the company’s production capacities, which have been limited to the Itzehoe and Tübingen sites. In addition, a battery plant is already under construction in Reutlingen-Nord/Kirchentellinsfurt under the Cellforce Group with Porsche. Cellforce plans to increase production capacity there tenfold to over one GWh.
Keyword: OneD enters the European market, partly with Customcells