The Electric: Facing a Skeptical Clientele, a Battery Company Builds Its Own Plant

In 2020, 6K, a North Andover, Mass., materials company, launched an energy division with the aim of making the toxic and laborious manufacture of battery electrodes cheaper and cleaner. Now, after failing to win business from large established electrode makers, the company plans to make the electrodes itself.

The move reflects how Western battery companies are adjusting to the industry’s shrunken ambitions amid slower than expected electric vehicle sales: Some are hunkering down, reducing spending and hoping business picks up soon; others are seeking partnerships with stronger companies; a few are shutting down, as we have reported.