Author name: Cornelius Karow

The newly established Ford Energy and EDF Power Solutions North America have signed a five-year framework agreement for battery storage systems. Under the agreement, EDF can purchase up to 4 GWh of DC-block systems from Ford Energy each year. Over the entire term, this represents a potential volume of up to 20 GWh. The first deliveries are scheduled for 2028. Ford Repurposes Previous EV Battery Plans The adoption of electric vehicles is proceeding more slowly than many manufacturers expected, particularly in the U.S. Consequently, automakers are increasingly planning to use infrastructure originally intended for EV batteries for stationary energy storage.  Ford had already announced plans to launch its energy storage business in December 2025. That announcement followed a $19.5 billion write-down on its electric vehicle programs. The company cited weaker-than-expected demand, high costs, and regulatory changes as the reasons for the write-down. At that time, Ford announced that it would repurpose its existing battery manufacturing capacity in Glendale, Kentucky, for the battery storage systems market. The establishment of the subsidiary Ford Energy was formalized this month. As part of the announcement, Ford stated its intention to provide at least 20 GWh annually. The “Ford Energy DC Block” is a 20-foot containerized battery storage system. According to the company, each unit has a capacity of 5.45 MWh. It uses prismatic LFP cells with a capacity of 512 Ah. Variants with two- or four-hour discharge times are available. Sources:https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2026/ford-energy-edf-power-solutions-north-americahttps://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2026/introducing-ford-energyhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251215095165/en/Ford-Follows-Customers-to-Drive-Profitable-Growth-Reinvests-in-Trucks-Hybrids-Affordable-EVs-Battery-Storage-Takes-EV-Related-Charges

The Chinese battery manufacturer Eve Energy received an order for 8 GWh of energy storage batteries from India. Their contract partner is the energy company Godawari New Energy Private Limited.  Additionally, the two companies are planning a long-term partnership. Consequently, the total volume of the partnership could rise to 60 GWh over the next five years. India Gains Importance for Energy Storage Eve Energy describes India as one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for new energy technologies. As the share of renewable energy increases, so does the need for grid stability and solutions for frequency and load management. The planned project will use 628-Ah energy storage batteries. These batteries are tailored for high safety standards and easy integration into energy storage systems, helping to reduce costs over the projects’ entire lifecycle.  In collaboration with GNEPL, Eve Energy aims to accelerate the expansion of energy storage projects in India and support the transition of the local energy supply. Source:https://cnevpost.com/2026/05/12/eve-energy-secures-8-gwh-energy-storage-order-from-india-gnepl/

Tesla plans to significantly expand battery cell production at its Grünheide facility near Berlin. According to the company, an additional $250 million will be invested to increase annual cell capacity to 18 gigawatt-hours. This more than doubles Tesla’s previous target of 8 gigawatt-hours, which was announced in December. As part of that announcement, Tesla had already promised to invest nearly one billion euros in the factory. The company says the expansion will also increase staffing needs. Tesla expects to have more than 1,500 employees in battery cell production alone. Tesla currently employs around 11,000 people in Grünheide. The plant is Tesla’s only Gigafactory in Europe. Nevertheless, battery cell production in Grünheide remains well below Elon Musk’s original plans. In 2020, Tesla announced plans to build the world’s largest battery cell factory in Berlin, with an initial annual capacity of 100 gigawatt-hours. A later expansion to up to 250 gigawatt-hours was also envisioned. However, the company halted these plans in 2022 after U.S. subsidy programs became more attractive. Greater Integration Planned Tesla is linking the expansion of cell production with greater vertical integration at the site. According to Tesla, battery cells and vehicles will be produced entirely in Grünheide starting in 2027. Tesla argues that this will increase the stability of European supply chains. At the same time, however, the company acknowledges the challenging economic landscape for cell production in Europe. Tesla claims that, in international competition with China and the U.S., the manufacture of battery cells is currently hardly economically viable. Sources:https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-invest-250-million-battery-plant-outside-berlin-2026-05-12/https://eletric-vehicles.com/tesla/tesla-more-than-doubles-berlin-battery-cell-output-target-to-18-gwh

As part of its strategic realignment, the German automaker Porsche AG plans to close several of its subsidiaries. This decision will include Cellforce Group GmbH in Kirchentellinsfurt. According to the company, Cellforce lacks “sufficiently viable prospects” within the context of Porsche’s future direction. Management is set to begin discussions with the works council regarding the closure. The closure will affect approximately 50 employees. Porsche cites a stronger focus on its core business as the reason for the decision. The Executive and Supervisory Boards have reportedly approved far-reaching measures to this end. In total, more than 500 jobs are expected to be cut across various subsidiaries. Porsche previously announced the sale of its stakes in Bugatti Rimac and the Rimac Group. Cellforce Loses Strategic Significance The Cellforce Group was considered a cornerstone of Porsche’s activities in the high-performance battery sector. However, Porsche now states that the subsidiary no longer has sufficient future prospects within the framework of a “technology-neutral” powertrain strategy. For the Kirchentellinsfurt site, this likely means the end of its current operations. E-bike and Software Subsidiaries Also Affected In addition to Cellforce, Porsche eBike Performance GmbH and Cetitec GmbH are set to be discontinued. The e-bike subsidiary developed and marketed drive systems. Cetitec GmbH developed software for data communication within the Volkswagen Group. Source:https://newsroom.porsche.com/de/2026/unternehmen/porsche-fokussierung-kerngeschaeft-42439.html

The Chinese battery manufacturer CATL plans to significantly increase its production capacity for sodium-ion batteries. According to a document released by environmental authorities in Ningde, China’s Fujian Province, annual production capacity is set to increase by 40 GWh. To this end, CATL intends to invest approximately 5 billion yuan, equivalent to around 735 million US dollars. The project will be implemented by CATL’s subsidiary, Fuding Shidai, and will operate independently of existing plants. Construction is expected to take 24 months. Plans include new facilities for battery cells, electrodes, capacity testing and modules, as well as additional infrastructure. Upon completion of the sixth expansion phase, the total planned capacity of the Fuding Shidai site is expected to reach 149 GWh. Major Order Accelerates Expansion of Sodium Technology This expansion follows a significant order in the stationary energy storage sector. At the end of April, CATL entered into a strategic partnership with the Chinese energy storage provider HyperStrong. This includes a supply contract for 60 GWh of sodium-ion batteries for energy storage over three years. According to CATL, this is the largest sodium battery order worldwide to date. CATL has been investing in the development of sodium-ion batteries for several years. Official figures show that research and development expenditure will total almost 10 billion yuan by the end of 2025. Source:https://cnevpost.com/2026/05/09/catl-plans-40-gwh-sodium-battery-capacity-expansion/