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Battery technology is complex—and simple answers often fall short. Battery News is expanding its coverage with a new video format: On YouTube, battery researcher Merlin Frank explains what is behind the latest developments, drawing on data and scientific evidence while keeping the content accessible. Whether the topic is service life, recycling, raw materials, or new cell technologies, batteries generate plenty of headlines—but not always enough context. That is where the new format comes in. Merlin Frank, a doctoral researcher at RWTH Aachen University, aims to explain what the numbers, studies, and technological developments actually mean. Less hype, more data. Batteries are no longer just a component of electric vehicles. They play a central role in mobility, energy supply, and industry—and are the subject of intense debate. Range, aging, raw materials, recycling, safety, and the global technology race involving Europe, China, and other regions regularly make headlines. With the new video offering, Battery News will also cover these topics in a format that provides more room for data, background, and technical context. Merlin Frank will be the face of the series. The doctoral researcher at RWTH Aachen University wants to show what lies behind the numbers, studies, and technological developments. Between Oversimplification and Technical Jargon One challenge, in Merlin Frank’s view, is how battery topics are often communicated. At one end of the spectrum are highly simplified explanations; at the other are highly specialized technical articles that can be difficult to follow without substantial prior knowledge. The new format is designed to bridge that gap. “My aim is to combine the two: technically rigorous and data-driven, but explained in a way that viewers without extensive prior knowledge can follow,” says Merlin Frank. Wherever possible, claims will not rest on isolated examples or personal assessments. Studies, market data, and Frank’s own analyses will provide the basis for putting figures and developments into a broader context. That is particularly important when it comes to batteries, because many questions cannot be answered simply as “good” or “bad.” How sustainable a battery is depends, for example, on its cell chemistry, manufacturing, use, electricity mix, service life, and end-of-life recycling. Claims about technological competitiveness or raw-material dependencies also require context. Rather than offering simple answers, Merlin Frank wants to make clear what conclusions the available data support—and where the evidence does not allow for a definitive judgment. From Cell Chemistry to the Battery Market The video format will cover a broad range of topics. Planned content includes foundational videos on subjects such as cell chemistries, battery design, aging mechanisms, and charging behavior. Data-driven market analyses and manufacturer comparisons will also play an important role. Merlin Frank also plans to address current developments, including new battery technologies, recycling processes, manufacturing sites, and developments among European and Asian battery manufacturers. The format therefore spans both foundational knowledge and current industry analysis. On-location reporting is also planned for the future. Merlin Frank aims to visit research institutions, companies, and industry events to show technological developments where they are being created and put into practice. Not Just for Battery Experts The target audience is intentionally broad. The videos are aimed at technically curious viewers and EV drivers as well as students, engineers, and professionals working with batteries, electric mobility, or energy technology. The key requirement is not a particular level of technical expertise, but an interest in understanding technological developments in greater depth. Merlin Frank wants to preserve technical depth without assuming that viewers are already experts in electrochemistry or battery production. Complex concepts should become easier to understand without being simplified to the point that important distinctions or uncertainties are lost. One Topic per Week As a rule, one new video is planned per week. Most episodes will run about 10 to 20 minutes, while more extensive analyses may be longer. The videos are intended to stay concise enough to address individual questions in a focused way while still leaving enough room for context and data. The new offering expands Battery News coverage with a format for anyone who wants to go beyond the headline when it comes to batteries: less hype, more data—and more room to understand what is really happening technologically. To the YouTube channel

Starting in 2027, Tesla plans to produce its own 4680 battery cells in Grünheide and ramp annual capacity to as much as 18 GWh. While several battery cell projects across Europe have been delayed, scaled back, or halted, Tesla continues to invest in local manufacturing. Robert Meyer, Cell Factory Lead at Tesla Manufacturing Brandenburg, explains why the strategy is not just about cost, but also about resilience, expertise, speed, and greater control over the company’s own value chain. Why Europe, and Why Now? For Tesla, cell manufacturing in Grünheide is part of a broader principle: supply chains should be localized wherever possible, while manufacturing processes should be closely integrated both horizontally and vertically. According to the company, this is the model Tesla follows at its sites worldwide. At Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, the focus from the outset was therefore not only on a high degree of vertical integration, but also on localizing as much of the supply chain as possible within Europe. “Localizing cell manufacturing puts us in a position to produce everything from the battery cell to the finished vehicle at a single site. That is unique in Europe,” Meyer says. From a purely economic perspective, however, the decision is far from an obvious one. Tesla acknowledges that battery cell manufacturing in Europe is currently difficult to justify in a direct cost comparison. Even so, the company remains committed to the plan. “From a purely cost perspective, the move offers limited advantages. For us, however, this is a strategic decision,” Meyer says. Tesla wants to strengthen supply-chain resilience, reduce dependencies, and at the same time expand vertical integration and manufacturing expertise at the site. From Learning in Texas to Ramp-Up in Grünheide Building a battery cell factory is not simply a matter of capital investment or installed capacity. The real challenge is whether complex processes can be translated reliably into high-volume production — with sufficient quality, high yield, and the shortest possible ramp-up time. Tesla sees an advantage here in not having to start from scratch. Lessons learned from 4680 production at its sister factory in Texas are expected to support the ramp-up in Grünheide. “The combination of high product and process complexity with high production volumes is a challenge,” Meyer explains. “But for the ramp-up of our cell factory in Grünheide, we benefit enormously from the fact that we have already solved this challenge at our sister factory in Texas.” Dry Electrode as a Key Technology The dry-electrode process plays a particularly important role. With dry coating, electrodes are manufactured without the conventional solvent-based wet process. For Tesla, the technology is a central element of its planned 4680 production in Grünheide. Because energy-intensive drying ovens are no longer required, Tesla says the process reduces both factory footprint and capital expenditure. It also eliminates costs associated with recovering toxic solvents. “The process not only has a noticeable positive impact on production costs, but also on the environmental footprint of manufacturing,” Meyer says. Another benefit is the significantly lower energy demand. Especially for battery cell production in Europe, more efficient processes could therefore become a decisive competitive factor. Vertical Integration Meets Europe’s Location Challenge Local cell manufacturing is also intended to make Tesla less dependent on a European supplier environment that, in the company’s view, is not yet comparable with the established battery ecosystems in Asia. Meyer points to Tesla’s factory in Shanghai, where the company sources cells from Chinese manufacturers and integrates them into its own vehicle production. “There simply isn’t a comparable ecosystem of manufacturers here that could serve as suppliers,” he says of Europe. At the same time, Tesla believes Europe is at a disadvantage in the global competition with China and the United States, citing in particular the absence of output-based incentives for battery cells in the EU. “In international competition, it is currently extremely difficult to manufacture cells economically in Europe,” Meyer says. From the company’s perspective, Europe needs clear and targeted framework conditions if battery cell technology is to become firmly established in the region over the long term. How Tesla Is Building Cell Manufacturing Expertise in Grünheide Alongside technology and capital, the ramp-up in Grünheide will above all be a workforce challenge. Tesla plans to hire more than 1,500 additional employees for cell manufacturing. At the same time, experienced battery cell manufacturing expertise remains scarce in Europe. Tesla is responding with a broad recruiting strategy. Prior experience in cell manufacturing is explicitly not a hiring requirement. “We are well aware that we are doing pioneering work here in Europe,” Meyer says. Tesla’s approach is to bring together people from different industries and with diverse professional backgrounds. Career changers can even be an advantage, he argues, because they may approach complex problems with a fresh and unbiased perspective. The strategy is supported by internal training and education programs. The Ramp-Up Playbook: Speed, Collaboration, and People What ultimately determines whether a gigafactory ramps successfully? For Meyer, speed comes first. “Speed is critical. We have to learn from our mistakes quickly and constantly ask ourselves whether a problem can be solved even faster.” That requires more than technical solutions. The organization itself also matters: teams need to collaborate closely across sites while retaining enough autonomy to make fast decisions. Striking the right balance between sharing best practices and maintaining local decision-making authority can accelerate the ramp-up process. Ultimately, however, Meyer traces the technical and operational challenge back to a classic factor: people. “To make such an ambitious project successful, you need highly motivated and committed employees who are all working toward the same goal.” Tesla at the Future Battery Forum 2026 Robert Meyer will continue the discussion on how battery cell production can be scaled successfully in Europe on November 24 and 25 at the Future Battery Forum at ECC Berlin. On the panel “The gigafactory scale-up playbook: Execution, yield, and speed,” he will join other international representatives from the battery cell industry. Tesla will also have its own booth at the Future Battery Forum and will

Battery-News presents an updated map of European testing facilities for batteries and battery systems in cooperation with the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University. The overview reflects the status as of February 2026 and was compiled by Niklas Kisseler and Tom Schäfer (PEM, RWTH Aachen University). Testing facilities across 13 European countries The map covers facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Poland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Germany has by far the largest concentration of entries, with additional locations across countries including the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. The overview includes specialized testing providers, research institutes, and in-house testing facilities. It illustrates the geographic distribution of Europe’s battery testing infrastructure. The underlying data comes from official announcements by the organizations listed and reliable battery industry sources. The map is available for free download in high resolution. This overview does not claim to be exhaustive. The editorial team welcomes corrections and additions through the contact form.

The E-Mobility Production Awards will be presented for the fourth time on October 20, 2026, at the Battery Production Days (BPD) in Aachen. Prizes will be awarded in three categories: the Jury Awards “Battery Production” and “E-Motor Production,” and the Community Award “Process Innovation in Battery Production – supported by VDMA Battery Production” The awards are presented by the PEM Institute at RWTH Aachen University, PEM Share and Berylls by AlixPartners. Applying for the community award Unlike the two jury awards, the community award is decided on the basis of submitted entries. Eligible are technologies and methods that improve the efficiency, quality, or sustainability of battery production. Applications can be submitted until October 1, 2026, using the Award-Website. An award committee will draw up a shortlist based on two criteria: degree of novelty, and benefit and potential. Applicants will find out on October 2, 2026, whether their innovation has reached the final round. Two-stage voting The finalists are decided in a two-stage vote. Online voting runs until October 18, 2026. The entries will then be presented as posters at the Battery Production Days on October 20 and put to a live vote on site. The awards will be handed over the same day from 6 p.m. at the BPD evening event in Aachen. Attending the Battery Production Days is a prerequisite for taking part in the live vote and the award ceremony. Tickets and further information are available at battery-production-days.de.

Factory planning is becoming a bottleneck for the battery industry: high capital requirements, long lead times, and little margin for error. The EDAG Group has developed an AI-powered configurator that delivers robust layout concepts for battery cell factories during the early planning phase—in a matter of minutes. Digitalization, decarbonization, and skilled-labor shortages are putting manufacturers across industries under growing pressure to transform, even as supply chains remain fragile and energy prices volatile. Companies planning a new factory today must make far-reaching decisions about location, capacity, and technology at an early stage—often without reliable benchmarks and within tight budget constraints. Battery cell manufacturing is under particular pressure. Projects typically cost hundreds of millions and can reach into the low billions; lead times are long, and demand remains difficult to forecast. After several announced gigafactory projects in Europe were delayed or halted in recent years, the industry is under growing pressure to validate site-selection and capacity decisions earlier and with greater confidence—before capital is committed. This is precisely where the EDAG Group aims to help. In summer 2025, its EDAG Production Solutions business unit developed the Smart Factory Network Configurator. Based on just a few key inputs—such as target capacity, investment budget, and space requirements—the tool generates initial layout concepts in minutes, complete with preliminary material-flow simulation, technology options, and cost estimates. “The early planning phase determines a battery cell factory’s costs, schedule, and production targets. That is exactly where the Smart Factory Network Configurator comes in: Instead of waiting weeks for initial benchmarks, our customers receive robust layout concepts in minutes,” says Philipp Hummel, Specialist Consultant for Smart Factory Planning. He presented the project at Batterieforum Deutschland 2026 in January. Inside the Factory Configurator The tool combines several AI methods. Generative and agentic AI applications, together with machine learning, turn a small set of input parameters into hundreds of thousands of variants. The configurator analyzes the inputs, checks them against integrated domain databases, and automatically generates layout options with cost estimates. EDAG reports that, in reference projects, this has cut the time from initial concept to feasibility assessment from an average of two months to two to four weeks. Two Battery Cell Manufacturing Use Cases Two battery cell manufacturing use cases described by the EDAG Group in a white paper illustrate how the approach works in practice. In the first case, a customer is planning a new manufacturing facility for NMC811 lithium-ion pouch cells and defines the following at the start of the project: After reviewing an initial design with an annual capacity of 8 gigawatt-hours, the customer requests a configuration that can scale by a factor of 1.5. The EDAG team simulates multiple scenarios in the configurator and prepares a cost estimate for the 12-gigawatt-hour option. According to the EDAG Group, the outcome is a set of validated layout concepts featuring scalable production structures and transparent investment scenarios for future capacity expansions. In the second case, a company with sites in Europe is evaluating the relocation of a plant to the United States and provides data from its German facility: For a like-for-like comparison, the system keeps target capacity, capital investment, and space requirements constant across both locations. The differences emerge primarily in the details, including alternative sourcing structures and different energy costs at the U.S. site. If needed, the EDAG team can further optimize the layout for the new site’s logistics requirements. At the customer’s request, the results can feed into detailed planning and the development of digital twins in metys, EDAG’s Industrial Metaverse platform—for example, to visualize and assess layout changes virtually. Conclusion: Data Quality Remains Critical The Smart Factory Network Configurator is not a substitute for the expertise of factory planners or for subsequent detailed planning. It does, however, move the comparison of design alternatives to an earlier stage, when changes can still be made with relatively little effort.

Battery-News is becoming part of the newly independent PEM Share GmbH. The new company combines trade media with training, events, and a network spanning industry, research, and startups. For readers, that should mean one thing above all: more context, more real-world relevance, and new formats — while journalistic standards remain unchanged. Readers of Battery-News will continue to get reliable news from the battery industry. What’s new, above all, is what’s growing behind the editorial team: PEM Share is building an environment where technical expertise, industrial experience, training, and industry contacts come together more closely. Battery-News remains the media foundation of that environment — but will be able to move beyond spot news more often, providing deeper context on industry developments. For the editorial team, that’s the next step: Battery-News is professionalizing further, without changing its editorial core. PEM Share GmbH is being established as an independent company as part of the broader restructuring of the former PEM Motion ecosystem. Its focus is on knowledge transfer, professional development, media, and networking. Alongside Battery-News, its portfolio includes the Battery Production Days and the E-Mobility Production Awards. In short: what stays — and what’s new What stays: Battery-News continues to report as a journalistic industry platform covering companies, technologies, markets, and regulatory developments. What’s new: Broader access to technical expertise, industrial practice, and additional sources. What will expand: Analysis, interviews, project reports, and multimedia and interactive formats. What remains non-negotiable: A clear separation between corporate interests, expert assessments, and editorially verified facts. More than another news item The battery industry isn’t just producing more innovations — it’s also generating more information. New production technologies, regulatory requirements, battery safety questions, European supply chains, and new cell and storage concepts are all evolving in parallel. For industry professionals and decision-makers, simply knowing that something happened is increasingly not enough. What matters is understanding what a given development means technically, economically, and from a regulatory standpoint. That’s exactly where Battery-News plans to focus more going forward. Through the PEM Share network, the editorial team can draw on experts, companies, research institutions, and emerging technology providers. That access is especially useful for topics that can’t be assessed based on corporate announcements or market data alone, but require additional technical and industrial context. The plan is to supplement current news more often with background knowledge and application-focused perspectives. That includes in-depth analyses of technologies and production processes, context on regulatory and economic developments, conversations with experts, and reports from development and industrialization projects. Content related to training sessions, trade events, and industry gatherings will also be more closely connected. Knowledge transfer in both directions The connection between media, training, and network is not a one-way street. Questions that surface in Battery-News’ coverage can spark ideas for training sessions and expert discussions. Conversely, discussions from events or industrial projects can point to topics that have so far received too little attention in public industry communication. “The battery industry doesn’t need more information — it needs better context. At PEM Share, we combine technical know-how, industrial practice, and industry communication, turning news into knowledge that actually helps companies move forward,” says Christoph Lienemann, managing director and shareholder of PEM Share GmbH. Clear roles, shared expertise As part of the new PEM Group structure, PEM Share will concentrate on knowledge, media, professional development, and networking. PEM Volterra handles battery testing, analysis, compliance, and market access, while the new PEM Motion oversees industrial development and innovation projects. WLF Energy, which now houses the former Battery Management Systems business unit, is also part of the expanded partner network. PEM Share is backed by Christoph Lienemann, Sebastian Küster, Prof. Achim Kampker, and Dr.-Ing. Christoph Deutskens as shareholders, with Prof. Heiner Heimes serving as an advisory board member. These experts and industry veterans bring together experience from research, industrial implementation, training, and industry communication. Their combined perspectives help not only track developments, but also make sense of them for the industry in clear, practical terms. The Battery-News editorial team itself remains unchanged. This seasoned team continues to bring its journalistic experience and industry expertise to the table — with plans to keep growing in the years ahead.

Battery-News presents an updated map of battery production equipment providers in Europe in cooperation with the chair “Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components” (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University (as of February 2026). The overview was compiled by Sebastian Wolf and Professor Heiner Heimes (PEM, RWTH Aachen University). Equipment suppliers across five production areas The map covers equipment providers in 14 European countries. Germany has by far the largest concentration of listed companies, while additional suppliers are located in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Hungary and Spain. The overview distinguishes five areas of battery production: electrode manufacturing, cell assembly, cell finishing, module and pack production, and atmosphere conditioning. Several companies supply equipment for more than one of these production stages. The map therefore illustrates both the geographical distribution of suppliers and their respective fields of activity. The map is available for free download in high resolution. This overview does not claim to be exhaustive – the editorial team welcomes corrections and additions via the contact form.

In cooperation with the chair “Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components” (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University, Battery-News presents an updated map of passive battery cell component manufacturers in Europe (as of February 2026). The overview was compiled by Benedikt Späth and Professor Heiner Heimes (PEM, RWTH Aachen University). The map covers 58 companies: 53 with dedicated sites across 14 countries plus five suppliers operating Europe-wide. Germany dominates the landscape with 27 locations – nearly half of all entries – followed by clusters in Austria, France, the United Kingdom and Hungary. Passive cell components include cell housings, aluminium and copper foils, separator materials, seals and gaskets, adhesives, insulation materials and functional coatings – the parts of a lithium-ion cell that do not take part in the electrochemical reaction. The map is available for free download in high resolution. The overview does not claim to be exhaustive – the editorial team welcomes corrections and additions via the contact form.

Solid-state batteries have long been touted as the next big leap for electric vehicles — higher energy density, improved safety, faster charging. But while many manufacturers are still stuck in the lab, one Taiwanese company is already pouring concrete in northern France. In February 2026, ProLogium held the official groundbreaking ceremony for its first European gigafactory at the Port of Dunkirk — marking one of the first large-scale solid-state cell production lines anywhere on the continent. Founded in 2006, ProLogium is one of the world’s most advanced makers of lithium ceramic batteries. Unlike many of its competitors, the company isn’t just running pilot lines: its gigafactory in Taoyuan, Taiwan, has been in mass production since 2024 and has shipped more than 800,000 cells to date, according to the company. With an investment of roughly €5.2 billion and a planned capacity of up to 48 GWh, the Dunkirk site is set to become the anchor of solid-state battery manufacturing in Europe, backed by partnerships with Mercedes-Benz, Mahle, and Rimac. On the sidelines of The Battery Show, we sat down with Vincent Yang, founder and CEO of ProLogium, and Christina Chen, Head of Business Management, to talk about the company’s European strategy — the path from technology leadership to industrial-scale manufacturing, why France won out as a location, and what the rest of Europe’s battery industry can learn from one of the first companies to take solid-state cells into series production. Why Europe, Why Now For ProLogium, Europe’s appeal comes down to one word: stability. Compared with the United States and China, where policy and market conditions can shift abruptly, Yang describes Europe as a reliable anchor — a consideration that carries extra weight given ongoing geopolitical tensions surrounding Taiwan and China. The groundbreaking in early February 2026 marked the company’s shift from planning to construction on its first plant outside Taiwan. A Port, Nuclear Power, and an Ecosystem That Fits In choosing a location within Europe, Yang points to several factors: By 2030, the site is expected to create roughly 3,000 direct and 12,000 indirect jobs. ProLogium has maintained a Paris office since 2024. The Technology: A Ceramic Separator Instead of a Conventional Electrolyte At the core of ProLogium’s technology is a solid-state battery built around a ceramic separator that, according to the company, remains stable even at high temperatures and varying current loads. A key safety claim: even if a cell’s temperature spikes sharply, it doesn’t go into thermal runaway. The cell itself stops working, but the vehicle and its occupants remain safe. ProLogium is especially proud of its proprietary coating process, which applies the separator directly onto the electrode instead of relying on the conventional approach of placing a separate separator film. The process has no specific brand name; what matters is that it eliminates the separator-film placement step entirely, enabling an efficient roll-to-roll process with automatic roll changeover. Electrode and separator are then stacked and laminated together as a pre-assembled unit. A key differentiator for ProLogium: the company isn’t just showing lab results — it already runs mass production, with a manufacturing line operating in Taiwan since 2024 and correspondingly mature processes. That, the company argues, sets it apart from more heavily hyped competitors that haven’t yet reached series production. European Partners, Not Chinese Dependency To build out its European supply chain, ProLogium is actively courting local partners, particularly in machinery and equipment manufacturing. A priority for the company is sourcing equipment and handling assembly locally in Europe, reducing reliance on Chinese suppliers. ProLogium aims to have its own equipment installed at the French site by 2028, leaving room for European machine builders to still get involved. Beyond the traditional automotive sector, ProLogium sees particular potential in applications such as marine use, drones, and robotics. What’s Next ProLogium positions itself as one of the few solid-state battery makers to move beyond announcements and into physical mass production. With the Dunkirk groundbreaking, a €5.2 billion investment, and partnerships with Mercedes-Benz, Mahle, and Rimac, the company is staking a claim to becoming a cornerstone of European battery sovereignty. Whether — and how quickly — that ambition translates into production output and market share will become clear in the coming years. Initial capacity in Dunkirk is expected by 2028.