LinkedIn

Advanced Batteries

Preventing the Formation of a Battery Cartel

2025-11-21T15:37:46-05:00

An article by Kevin Brunelli, a nonresident fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, titled “American Automakers Need Chinese Batteries” appeared in Foreign Policy Magazine on November 14, 2025.   In the article, Mr. Brunelli argues that China generally, and CATL in particular, have pulled far ahead in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries.  He suggests that unless American automobile manufacturers are allowed to partner with Chinese battery suppliers such as CATL, the U.S. automobile industry, which currently employs about 4 million Americans, faces a bleak and potentially disastrous future. Much of what Mr. Brunelli suggests in his [...]

Preventing the Formation of a Battery Cartel2025-11-21T15:37:46-05:00

NAATBatt Restarts PowerTrip Programs at Rockwell Automation

2025-08-22T20:17:42-04:00

Last Thursday, NAATBatt revived its Member Site Visit Programs (now called PowerTrips) with a visit to the headquarters of Platinum member Rockwell Automation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  At PowerTrip programs, a NAATBatt member firm opens a manufacturing facility for tour by other NAATBatt members.  During the tour, NAATBatt members have the opportunity to see exactly what the host member does and learn about its expertise. Of course, networking is a big part of PowerTrips programs.  Each PowerTrip features a networking lunch or dinner sponsored by the host member.  These meals and breaks during the program allow attendees to get to know the [...]

NAATBatt Restarts PowerTrip Programs at Rockwell Automation2025-08-22T20:17:42-04:00

One Big Beautiful Technology

2025-07-03T17:55:26-04:00

The battle to save the tax credits helping to direct investment in advanced battery technology is now officially over.  For better or worse Congress has acted and our battery industry and our country will have to live with the consequences.  The good news, if you are looking for it, is that what Congress did or did not do in the One Big Beautiful Bill does not really matter. The technology that powers human society is moving inexorably towards electricity.  Storing and delivering that electricity to exactly where and exactly when it is needed is a key, enabling tool of this new [...]

One Big Beautiful Technology2025-07-03T17:55:26-04:00

Tariffs Need to be “Sticky” to Work

2025-03-14T00:13:33-04:00

Regardless of the wisdom of the Trump tariffs, the Administration’s actions seem motivated by a genuine desire to return manufacturing to the United States.  This is a laudable goal and one that NAATBatt fully supports. But in trying to return manufacturing to the United States through tariffs, the Administration may be confusing a symptom with the disease.  The disease is not a lack of manufacturing in the United States.  The disease is that the United States is underinvesting in manufacturing infrastructure.  That underinvestment has led to the symptom of a declining manufacturing sector in general and to the lack of advanced [...]

Tariffs Need to be “Sticky” to Work2025-03-14T00:13:33-04:00

Explaining U.S. Battery Strategy in Korea

2025-03-08T04:23:35-05:00

The NAATBatt Onshoring Battery Technology Committee recently sponsored a delegation of NAATBatt members at InterBattery 2025.  The delegation included representatives of 39 NAATBatt member firms, which either attended the conference in person or virtually. Participating members had the opportunity to attend InterBattery 2025, the second largest battery conference in Asia (after CIBF in Shenzhen, China) and meet a wide with a range of Asian battery and battery component manufacturers.  The NAATBatt InterBattery program allowed members to interact directly with decision-makers at the large Korean battery companies.  Those decision-makers tend to be located in Korea, not in North America.  The Onshoring Battery [...]

Explaining U.S. Battery Strategy in Korea2025-03-08T04:23:35-05:00

Take-Aways from NAATBatt 2025

2025-02-21T22:11:31-05:00

NAATBatt 2025, the 17th annual meeting and conference of NAATBatt International, ended on Thursday, February 20, in Orlando, Florida.  Initial reviews by attendees have been overwhelmingly positive.  NAATBatt continues its mission of fostering a culture of inclusion and congeniality in the North American battery industry.  The objective of that culture is to give NAATBatt members more and better opportunities to grow their respective businesses and build new commercial relationships in North America.  NAATBatt 2025 attendees appear to agree that NAATBatt is achieving that objective. The positive reactions to the meeting contrasted with uncertainty about the state of the industry as a [...]

Take-Aways from NAATBatt 20252025-02-21T22:11:31-05:00

In Defense of US Fuel Economy Standards

2024-11-26T15:11:50-05:00

I had dinner recently with a friend who is a money manager.  He told me that he planned to buy stock in a major automobile company.  He said that the stock had earnings of $2.00 per share.  But that was because the company was making $3.00 per share on its sale of gasoline-powered cars and losing $1.00 per share on its sales of electric vehicles.  With the incoming Trump administration set to loosen or eliminate the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, he figured that the company would soon be out of the EV manufacturing business and back to the [...]

In Defense of US Fuel Economy Standards2024-11-26T15:11:50-05:00

The Advanced Battery Industry on the Day After

2024-11-07T16:43:33-05:00

The 2024 general election is mercifully over.  Many in the advanced battery, renewable energy and electric vehicle industries are apprehensive about the result to say the least.  While some apprehension is warranted, it is important to keep a few of things in mind. First is that advanced batteries and electric vehicles are not the product of government policy.  They are the product of fundamental changes in energy and automotive technologies that will continue regardless of political leadership.  Government policy cannot affect the existence of this change (though it can affect its pace).  Politics will not prevent the adoption of a superior [...]

The Advanced Battery Industry on the Day After2024-11-07T16:43:33-05:00

New Li-Bridge Initiative on Tracking and Tracing Lithium Batteries

2024-08-30T14:19:02-04:00

On August 29, I had the pleasure of participating in the fifth government-industry forum of the Li-Bridge project at Argonne National Laboratory outside Chicago.  The forum sought to collect information and opinions from leading private companies and government agencies on various schemes that have been proposed to track and trace the contents and performance attributes of high capacity lithium-based batteries over their lifetime use in commerce.  The best known of those schemes, which the forum discussed extensively, was the EU’s Battery Passport. Representatives from more than 50 companies and government agencies participated in the forum.  The participants represented the entire breadth [...]

New Li-Bridge Initiative on Tracking and Tracing Lithium Batteries2024-08-30T14:19:02-04:00

In Memory of Ralph J. Brodd

2024-03-01T22:11:22-05:00

Last month, the lithium battery industry lost another giant: Ralph J. Brodd.  Ralph had not been active in the battery industry for several years.  As a result his name may not be familiar to many who entered the industry during that time.  But Ralph may be one of the most consequential figures in the history of advanced battery technology in the United States. Ralph’s resume reads like a laundry list of positions and accomplishments.  He was a past President of the Electrochemical Society. He was an advisor to most of the national laboratories working on advanced battery technology.  He published more [...]

In Memory of Ralph J. Brodd2024-03-01T22:11:22-05:00
Go to Top