The Electric by Steve LeVine — The Information

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The Electric

By Steve LeVine

The Electric is a publication from Steve LeVine and The Information focused on crucial industries for the energy transition, including next-generation batteries, electric vehicles and autonomous driving. The newsletter is only for subscribers of The Information.

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Recent Editions

Copper, necessary in electric vehicle batteries, ready for export in Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose supply is dominated by Chinese companies. Photo: Lucien Kahozi/Bloomberg

The Electric: U.S. Officials Leave a Door Ajar for Chinese Battery Companies in the U.S.

By Steve LeVine · Dec 6, 2022 3:30am PST

Leading U.S. officials appear open to allowing some Chinese companies to receive U.S. tax credits and other incentives approved by Congress to encourage the creation of a U.S.-led battery supply chain independent from China.The question of Chinese eligibility for the approximately $250 billion in incentives that take effect next year is a... Leading U.S. officials appear open to allowing some Chinese companies to receive U.S. tax credits...

Three years late, Tesla CEO Elon Musk delivered the company's first Semi big rig truck. (Photo: Courtesy Tesla)

The Electric: Tesla Has Delivered Its First Electric Big Rig. Now Comes the Hard Part

By Steve LeVine · Dec 4, 2022 2:00pm PST

Three years after he promised to deliver the Tesla Semi, Elon Musk last week finally handed over five of the big rigs to PepsiCo. Musk is promising to follow those with the production of 50,000 Semis in 2024. This week, we look at why he will get nowhere near that production number this decade.In 2017, Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla... Three years after he promised to deliver the Tesla Semi, Elon Musk last week finally handed over...

Solid Power's early solid state lithium metal cells. Photo: Courtesy Solid Power

The Electric: A Next-Gen Battery Maker Stumbles and Replaces Its CEO

By Steve LeVine · Nov 30, 2022 3:58pm PST

The share price of solid state battery manufacturer Solid Power fell 14% on Wednesday after the surprise resignation of co-founder and CEO Doug Campbell. Campbell’s exit comes 18 months after the startup abruptly shifted from its original lithium-metal technology to a silicon-based battery, an easier material to develop.The Colorado-based... The share price of solid state battery manufacturer Solid Power fell 14% on Wednesday after the...

Joby Aviation is likely to have the first certified electric flying taxi in the U.S. Photo: Courtesy Joby

The Electric: One Step Forward for Air Taxis, but a Long Road Ahead

By Steve LeVine · Nov 27, 2022 2:00pm PST

Joby Aviation is likely to have the first certified electric flying taxi in the U.S. Photo: Courtesy Joby

The Electric: One Step Forward for Air Taxis, but a Long Road Ahead

By Steve LeVine · Nov 27, 2022 2:00pm PST

This Thursday: The U.S. is putting down hundreds of billions of dollars on one of the biggest technological bets in the world—that it can establish its own battery industry, and halt its dependence on China. To hear the inside story of how the U.S. is doling out the money, I'm excited to host Jigar Shah, director of the $250 billion... This Thursday: The U.S. is putting down hundreds of billions of dollars on one of the biggest...

Qichao Hu, CEO of Boston-based next-generation battery developer SES, which is in the race to qualify for lucrative U.S. tax credits. Photo: Courtesy SES

The Electric: The Climate Law Triggers a Race Among Next-Gen Battery Makers

By Steve LeVine · Nov 20, 2022 2:00pm PST

Save the date: The Biden administration, armed with $125 billion in loans, grants and tax credits, is trying to nudge American entrepreneurs into creating a U.S. battery supply chain and reviving the nation as an industrial powerhouse. How is that going—and what exactly does the U.S. battery master plan look like? To discuss and get your... Save the date: The Biden administration, armed with $125 billion in loans, grants and tax...

VW will continue to produce the electric Porsche Taycan, but may no longer make it a goal to overtake Tesla. Photo: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

The Electric: Volkswagen Suggests It Is No Longer Pursuing Tesla

By Steve LeVine · Nov 17, 2022 1:56pm PST

Volkswagen may be acknowledging what no other major automaker has done so far—that it stands little chance of catching up to Tesla anytime soon.Most of the auto industry continues to barrel forward with headlong construction of electric vehicle and battery plants, often in the name of competing with Tesla. But in reports Thursday, VW was said to... Volkswagen may be acknowledging what no other major automaker has done so far—that it stands...

The Electric: The Proposed Gigafactories That Will Be Built—and Those That Won't

The Electric: The Proposed Gigafactories That Will Be Built—and Those That Won't

By Steve LeVine · Nov 13, 2022 2:00pm PST

For two or so years, there seems hardly to have been a week without the announcement of another new gigafactory somewhere. If they are all built, they will number at least in the hundreds. But that's a big "if." This week, we dive into the dozens of gigafactories proposed in the U.S. and Europe, and assess which will probably make it, and... For two or so years, there seems hardly to have been a week without the announcement of another...

Will lithium from Australia's Greenbushes, the world's largest lithium mine, qualify for U.S. tax credits even though it's 51% owned by China's Tianqi Lithium and just 49% by U.S.-based Albemarle? Photo: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg

The Electric: Biden Seems Likely to Try to Thwart Chinese Battery Factories in the U.S.

By Steve LeVine · Nov 6, 2022 2:00pm PST

Will lithium from Australia's Greenbushes, the world's largest lithium mine, qualify for U.S. tax credits even though it's 51% owned by China's Tianqi Lithium and just 49% by U.S.-based Albemarle? Photo: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg

The Electric: Biden Seems Likely to Try to Thwart Chinese Battery Factories in the U.S.

By Steve LeVine · Nov 6, 2022 2:00pm PST

The U.S. badly wants an electric vehicle battery industry, and it hopes that the tens of billions of dollars contained in the Inflation Reduction Act get it there. This week we look at the difficult policy choices ahead for the Biden Administration: China holds much of the world's battery-making know-how, but many U.S. officials are hostile to... The U.S. badly wants an electric vehicle battery industry, and it hopes that the tens of billions...

To make green hydrogen, electricity is applied to water in an electrolyzer. Photo: Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg

The Electric: Hydrogen Is Again Confounding the Dreams of Its Promoters

By Steve LeVine · Oct 30, 2022 2:00pm PDT

This Tuesday: The global lithium shortage stands to severely stunt the production of electric vehicles through the end of the decade. To discuss how the industry is responding—and China's dominance of the supply chain—I'm excited to host Eric Norris, president for lithium at Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, for the next Live Chat... This Tuesday: The global lithium shortage stands to severely stunt the production of electric...

Biden announces the initial grants from the $135 billion pot to build a U.S. battery supply chain. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg

The Electric: How the Biden Administration Should Interpret the New Battery Law

By Steve LeVine · Oct 23, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: Automakers face a massive shortage of lithium this decade, hobbling their plans to produce millions of electric vehicles. To discuss how the lithium mining industry is responding, I'm excited to host Eric Norris, president of lithium at Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, for the next Live Chat With The Electric... Save the date: Automakers face a massive shortage of lithium this decade, hobbling their...

At Silver Peak, concentrated lithium turns the last in a string of ponds an eerie blue. Photo: The Electric

The Electric: In Remote Nevada, Evidence of the Decade’s Lithium Shortage

By Steve LeVine · Oct 16, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: The world is in a lithium shortage, and looks likely to remain so for at least the remainder of the decade. This is bad news for those hoping for a fast and massive shift to electric vehicles. To plumb why the industry hasn't managed to move more rapidly, and what it can do to turn things around, I'm delighted to host Eric Norris,... Save the date: The world is in a lithium shortage, and looks likely to remain so for at least the...

Headquarters of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., poised to remain the world's largest battery producer through the 2020s, in Ningde, China. Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

The Electric: The U.S. Is Ramping Up. China Is Ramping Up Faster

By Steve LeVine · Oct 9, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Headquarters of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., poised to remain the world's largest battery producer through the 2020s, in Ningde, China. Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

The Electric: The U.S. Is Ramping Up. China Is Ramping Up Faster

By Steve LeVine · Oct 9, 2022 2:00pm PDT

In recent months, the U.S. and Europe have taken enormous steps to eliminate China's near-monopoly on lithium-ion batteries, the strategic heart of electric vehicles, as the industry begins to take off. But this week we look at the reality that China's dominance of batteries is likely only to become greater by the end of the decade, and that... In recent months, the U.S. and Europe have taken enormous steps to eliminate China's...

The Electric Quarterly: China Inc. in the U.S.?

The Electric Quarterly: China Inc. in the U.S.?

By Steve LeVine · Oct 2, 2022 2:00pm PDT

The Biden Administration has allocated about $100 billion to establish a U.S. battery supply chain and thwart a Chinese stranglehold on the industry. Will the U.S. now allow Chinese companies to open factories in the U.S.? This week, we look at an attempt by Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion High-Tech to build a gigafactory in a Michigan... The Biden Administration has allocated about $100 billion to establish a U.S. battery supply...

Talon Metals workers examine nickel cores from the company's Tamarack mine in central Minnesota. Photo: Courtesy Talon Metals

The Electric: The Next Hurdle for a U.S. Battery Industry: Talent

By Steve LeVine · Sep 25, 2022 2:00pm PDT

For more than a year, automobile and battery manufacturers have fretted over a stark shortage of raw materials, and how that will prevent them from making all the electric vehicles they plan this decade. This week we look at another major bottleneck they are wrestling with: labor. The U.S. and Europe simply don't have enough people who know how... For more than a year, automobile and battery manufacturers have fretted over a stark shortage of...

From the first electric vehicle era: The 1922 Detroit Electric Model 90, in the lobby of Our Next Energy, could go up to 50 miles on a charge. Photo: The Electric

The Electric: Automakers Are Suddenly Serious About Next-Generation Batteries

By Steve LeVine · Sep 18, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Last week, greater Detroit hosted two big industry conferences—The Battery Show and the Detroit auto show. The tone at both suggested that the new Inflation Reduction Act, which allocates about $100 billion for electric vehicles and batteries, has triggered a sea change among automakers, which are suddenly ultra-eager to sign contracts for the... Last week, greater Detroit hosted two big industry conferences—The Battery Show and the Detroit...

On Saturday in Haiphong, Vietnam, VinFast unveiled the first electric vehicles it will deliver to the U.S. and Europe in the coming weeks. Photo: Yen Duong/Bloomberg

The Electric: Vietnam Has Made a Surprising EV—but it Will Have to Drop the Price

By Steve LeVine · Sep 11, 2022 2:00pm PDT

On Saturday in Haiphong, Vietnam, VinFast unveiled the first electric vehicles it will deliver to the U.S. and Europe in the coming weeks. Photo: Yen Duong/Bloomberg

The Electric: Vietnam Has Made a Surprising EV—but it Will Have to Drop the Price

By Steve LeVine · Sep 11, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Thanks to The Electric community for the terrifically successful first-anniversary Live Chat with China expert Bob Galyen on Thursday. For those who missed it, we will post a recording here later this week.This week, we examine a new Asian electric vehicle aspirant in the West—not China, but Vietnam. VinFast plans to deliver its first electric... Thanks to The Electric community for the terrifically successful first-anniversary Live Chat with...

Biden signed the climate bill, containing about $100 billion for batteries, on Aug. 16. To his left, Sens. Joe Manchin and Chuck Schumer. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg

The Electric: The U.S. Is Making Innovative Batteries. Will China Make Them Irrelevant?

By Steve LeVine · Sep 4, 2022 2:00pm PDT

This Thursday: The Electric celebrates its 1-year anniversary with a special Live Chat featuring Bob Galyen, one of the foremost experts on establishing a battery supply chain. Bob is the former chief technology officer of Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., or CATL, the Chinese battery giant, and is now a major force in standing up a... This Thursday: The Electric celebrates its 1-year anniversary with a special Live Chat featuring...

Jeff Dahn at his Dalhousie University lab. Photo: Courtesy Dalhousie University

The Electric: The Battery That Could Move Motorists to Connect to the Grid

By Steve LeVine · Aug 28, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: Our 1-year anniversary is coming up. As a thanks to you, we are celebrating with a special subscribers-only event on perhaps the most important challenge facing the industry—building a battery supply chain not reliant on China. Our guest for this September 8 live chat is Bob Galyen, a foremost leader of the U.S. effort to... Save the date: Our 1-year anniversary is coming up. As a thanks to you, we are celebrating...

Thacker Pass, Nev., the site of a four-year struggle by Lithium Americas to develop a lithium mine. Photo: Suzanne Featherston/The Daily Free Press/AP

The Electric: The Climate Bill Sparks Two New Political Battles

By Steve LeVine · Aug 25, 2022 4:00am PDT

Save the date: On September 8, we celebrate our first anniversary with a special event on perhaps the most important challenge facing the industry—building a battery supply chain independent of China. Our guest for this 3 p.m. ET live chat will be Bob Galyen, former chief technology officer of China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd., the... Save the date: On September 8, we celebrate our first anniversary with a special event on perhaps...

In a shot over the bow, Toyota—after decades of watching U.S. automakers—became the third best-selling auto line in the U.S. with the $1,780 Corona. Photo: AP

The Electric: To Get Its Battery Supply Chain, the U.S. Will Have to Mimic China

By Steve LeVine · Aug 21, 2022 2:00pm PDT

In a shot over the bow, Toyota—after decades of watching U.S. automakers—became the third best-selling auto line in the U.S. with the $1,780 Corona. Photo: AP

The Electric: To Get Its Battery Supply Chain, the U.S. Will Have to Mimic China

By Steve LeVine · Aug 21, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: A year ago, we launched The Electric to cover one of the most important—and least reported—new sectors in technology: batteries and electric vehicles. On September 8, we’ll celebrate our anniversary with a special event on perhaps the most important challenge facing the industry—building a battery supply chain independent of... Save the date: A year ago, we launched The Electric to cover one of the most important—and least...