BatteryTech News & Updates — 2026 #32

Hello Battery-Tech community and professionals. Here is your weekly update on major developments in the global battery industry, energy storage, and EV market. This week includes a new China standard for EV battery health display accuracy, fresh H1 2026 data showing global ESS shipments up 71% to 461.3 GWh, and CATL’s continued lead in global EV battery installations. We also cover solid-state and sodium-ion progress, plus multiple quality, manufacturing, and supply chain updates across major cell makers.

Subscribe to Newsletter

⭕ BATTERY TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

🔋 Samsung SDI to Mass-Produce Solid-State Batteries by 2027

Samsung SDI plans to start mass production of sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries at its Ulsan plant in H2 2027 under a 25 trillion-won investment plan. The company targets over 900 Wh/L energy density and plans overseas scaling after launch. Read more

🔋 BYD Files Six Solid-State Battery Patents for Dual-Electrolyte Cells

BYD filed six solid-state battery patents focused on improving solid electrolyte–electrode interfaces. The filings cover cathode designs, buffer interlayers, graded ionic wetting, and a Re contact metric intended to improve durability. Read more

🔋 MIT’s Solvent Boosts Stability and Speed of Sodium Batteries

MIT researchers identified an electrolyte solvent, DMFSA, to balance stability and ion transport in sodium-metal batteries. Screening reduced about 100,000 candidates to DMFSA, enabling faster charging, high power output, and long cycle life in reported results. Read more

🔋 Factorial Energy, Tulip Tech Partner to Boost UAV Range

Factorial Energy and Tulip Tech formed a partnership to commercialize solid-state and lithium-metal UAV batteries. The companies reported early flight tests showing a 30% range increase, with plans for joint customer engagement and volume production. Read more

🔋 Blue Solutions and AVL Advance Solid-State Battery Safety

Blue Solutions and AVL completed safety testing for next-generation solid-state battery cells using predictive simulations and advanced modeling. The work targets thermal propagation prevention and up to 25% higher energy density under new regulatory standards. Read more

🔋 Syntropic Power and UNIGRID to Commercialize NCO Batteries

Syntropic Power and UNIGRID partnered to commercialize sodium chromium oxide (NCO) batteries. They are targeting 1 GWh deployment by 2027, integrating UNIGRID’s chemistry into Tenet residential and GridSpan grid-scale systems. Read more

⭕ ENERGY STORAGE & GRID

🔋 Global ESS Shipments Jump 71% in H1 2026, China Growth Slows

Global ESS shipments rose 71% to 461.3 GWh in H1 2026, led by grid-scale systems. China’s share declined to 43.9% as North America and Europe increased, with growth also reported across residential, commercial, and industrial segments. Read more

🔋 ai&, Voltaiq Partner on Battery Storage for AI Data Centers

ai& and Voltaiq will deploy battery energy storage at ai&’s data centers in Japan. The project combines sovereign infrastructure with Voltaiq’s platform to track battery performance, reduce grid strain, lower costs, and support safe uptime. Read more

🔋 Samsung SDI to Start U.S. LFP Battery Production in Q3 2026

Samsung SDI said it will start U.S. production of LFP battery cells in Q3 2026 and is targeting 30 GWh of U.S. BESS capacity by the end of 2026. The company reported KRW 203.8 billion operating profit in Q2 and cited local supply deals. Read more

⭕ INDUSTRY & MARKET DEVELOPMENTS

🔋 CATL Leads with 39.9% as Global EV Battery Installs Rise

Global EV battery installations reached 608.5 GWh in H1 2026, up 20% year-on-year. CATL led with 242.7 GWh and a 39.9% share, followed by BYD, LG Energy, and CALB, with Chinese firms taking seven of the top ten spots. Read more

🔋 BYD Tops July 2026 NEV Global Sales as Competitors Surge

BYD led global NEV deliveries in July 2026 with 411,072 units and reported record exports of 180,000. SAIC and Geely followed, Leapmotor exceeded 100,000, and Nio, Li Auto, Xiaomi, and Huawei’s HIMA also reported gains. Read more

🔋 Updated Smart #1 Launches 800V Architecture, LiDAR Tech

Smart introduced two new Smart #1 trims, the 535 Max and 535 Ultra, priced from ¥152,900 to ¥172,900. Updates include an 800V SiC drive, roof LiDAR, ADAS features, and a 535 km LFP battery. Read more

🔋 Nio Confirms 120 kWh Battery Pack Still in Development

Nio CEO William Li confirmed continued development of a 120-kWh battery pack intended to be compatible with existing models and swap stations. Nio stated the pack delivers 292 Wh/kg and supports 5C fast charging, complementing 75- and 100-kWh options. Read more

🔋 Skeleton Technologies Joins Chamber to Fuel U.S. Expansion

Skeleton Technologies joined the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce New York as it expands U.S. operations. The company said the move supports access to a network of leaders and investors. Read more

🔋 Europe’s EV Batteries Lag as Asian Firms Dominate Market

Deloitte reported European automakers sourced 77% of EV battery cells from Asia in 2024, and 98% of local capacity was foreign-controlled. The report cited demand approaching 1,950 GWh by 2030 and estimated risks of €10.5 billion in lost profits. Read more

⭕ POLICY & REGULATION

🔋 New China Standard Limits EV Battery Health Errors to 5%

China’s GB/T 46991.1-2025 standard requires EV battery health displays to stay within 5% accuracy for SOCE and sets Virtual Mileage limits of 3%. It also specifies capacity retention targets of 82%, 75%, and 70% after 5, 8, and 10 years. Read more

⭕ MINING & BATTERY MATERIALS

🔋 China’s First Sodium-Ion Electric Mining Truck Delivered

China delivered its first pure electric mining truck powered by a 676 kWh sodium-ion battery system to the Tangshan Sanyou mine. Developed by Hina Battery and Tonly Heavy Industry, it is reported to charge in 20–25 minutes and exceed 8,000 cycles. Read more

⭕ MANUFACTURING & QUALITY

🔋 CALB Launches Quality Overhaul After LFP Cell Swelling Issue

CALB reported tightening electrode-coating tolerances to ±1.5% and upgrading moisture and dew-point monitoring after LFP cell swelling in GAC Aion vehicles. The company also refined roll-level traceability, revamped cell designs, and formed a rapid-response quality team. Read more

🔋 KiBa-Pro AI Initiative to Digitalize European LFP Production

The KiBa-Pro project, led by EAS Batteries, brings industry and research partners together to digitalize European LFP cell production. The initiative targets a 10% improvement in cell life and a 15% yield increase through enhanced data collection and modeling. Read more




Events, Conferences & Trade Shows

Upcoming Events

Event Partner



Latest Job Opportunities

  • Latest Job Openings on LinkedIn (Daily Updated)

    💼 Jobs in Europe (all jobs can be atributed to Europe as region):

    • Operations Manager (m/w/d) – Ramp-up & Operations Excellence – cylib, Germany – View details
    • Customer Quality Assurance – Sweden – CATL, Sweden – View details
    • Manager Government Affairs – CATL, Germany – View details
    • Power Electronics Engineer – EnerSys, France – View details

    💼 Jobs in North America (all jobs can be atributed to North America as region):

    • Test Laboratory Manager – Moment Energy, Canada – View details
    • Analytical Laboratory Supervisor – Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America, United States – View details
    • Manager, Materials Engineering – Form Energy, United States – View details
    • Application Engineer – Proterra, United States – View details
    • Design Engineer – EnerSys, United States – View details
    • Research Associate, Battery Performance – Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc., United States – View details
    • Service Technician – Stryten Energy, United States – View details
    • Field Service Engineer – Gotion Inc., United States – View details

Thank you for reading this week’s update. More reporting and prior editions are available on the Battery-Tech Network. Subscribe and stay connected for weekly battery, materials, and energy storage news.

Share This Post

Logo_Battery-Tech-Network_Thumbnail

Subscribe To Our
Weekly Newsletter​

Logo_Battery-Tech-Network_Thumbnail

Let's connect

And Find Out How We Can Work Together