US Startups Group14 and Sila Nanotechnologies Plan to Revolutionize Electric Vehicle Batteries with Silicon Anode Technology

Two American startups, Group14 Technologies and Sila Nanotechnologies, are planning to commercialize silicon anode batteries. These batteries can store more energy, provide longer driving ranges, and faster charging times, and are expected to replace graphite in the anodes of traditional electric vehicle batteries, revolutionizing the battery industry.

Group14, which has been in business for seven years, has started constructing a commercial facility near Moses Lake in central Washington to produce SCC55 silicon carbon powder. The facility is expected to begin production in 2024, with initial production capacity to supply anode materials for 200,000 electric vehicles. Group14's first customer will be Porsche, one of its investors. The company has completed its Series C funding round and raised $650 million from investors, including ATL, BASF, SK Inc, and Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund. CEO and co-founder Rick Luebbe also announced that Group14 is planning to open a joint factory with battery manufacturer SK Inc in South Korea this year.

Meanwhile, Sila Nanotechnologies also announced plans to build a facility in Moses Lake, Washington, and is expected to launch its Titan Silicon battery material in the second half of 2024. According to Sila, Titan Silicon, which uses nano-composite silicon anodes instead of traditional graphite anodes, can reduce the weight of the battery by up to 15% and shrink the battery's size by 20%. In addition, silicon anode batteries are expected to increase the driving range of electric vehicles by 20% and charge the battery from 10% to 80% in just 20 minutes.

Mercedes-Benz will become Sila's first automotive customer, with its EQG electric SUV being the first to be equipped with silicon anode batteries. However, even though silicon anode batteries seem promising, there is still a long way to go before they can be produced on a large scale. Sila's CEO and co-founder Gene Berdichevsky said that it would take more than a decade for silicon to replace graphite as the main component in the anode.