It is worth noting that with the gradual ramp-up of large cylindrical battery production, the share of 9-series materials is rising rapidly both domestically and internationally.

Dongfeng’s new-generation solid-state battery (oxide-polymer composite) to start mass production in 2H 2026; demo vehicles logged >3.2 million km safely. Dongchi Energy’s semi-solid device shipped to Djibouti (offshore oil platform application). Aviation solid-state battery energy density exceeds 480Wh/kg, boosting eVTOL range by 65%+. Sun Xueliang’s team achieved low-cost Li₂S (cutting sulfide electrolyte cost by >86%) and Li-Te battery with 13,000+ cycles.

EcoPro announced that its Hungary plant held a shipment ceremony on June 8 local time for high-nickel NCA cathode materials to be supplied to a European automotive OEM.

COSMO Chemical has signed a contract with EcoPro EM to supply cobalt sulfate, a raw material for secondary battery cathode materials. According to COSMO Chemical’s disclosure on June 9, the contract is worth KRW 14,065,975,248, equivalent to 2.12% of the company’s 2025 revenue. The contract period runs through December 31.

Korean battery materials company EcoPro has officially commenced mass production of high-nickel cathode materials at its plant in Debrecen, Hungary, and has completed its first shipment, marking a significant step in the operationalization of its localized European strategy. The facility primarily produces high-nickel NCA cathode materials for electric vehicles, with initial deliveries already made to European automotive OEMs. Covering an area of approximately 440,000 square meters, the project integrates cathode material production, lithium hydroxide processing, and industrial gas supply. It has an annual production capacity of around 54,000 tonnes of cathode materials, sufficient to support approximately 600,000 electric vehicles. The company stated that it will use this launch as a starting point to gradually ramp up production and plans to supply more global automakers within the year, while also advancing the development of NCM product lines to meet diverse customer needs in Europe. Looking ahead, EcoPro is considering the construction of a second plant based on order visibility, which could more than double the site’s total capacity.

On June 9, GEM disclosed that it has signed a cooperation agreement to jointly establish a joint laboratory for solid-state battery cathode materials and to conduct collaborative research on key technologies for the industrialization of solid-state lithium battery cathode materials. GEM plans to invest a total of 30 million yuan into the joint laboratory over five years. Of this amount, 20 million yuan will be used for the construction and operation of the joint laboratory, while the remaining 10 million yuan will be allocated for the pilot-scale conversion of laboratory technologies once they mature. The funds for the joint laboratory will be managed under a separate account at Ningbo Eastern University of Technology, earmarked exclusively for research and development activities within the joint laboratory.

Developing local processing capacity is not simply a matter of building another plant next to a mine. It requires a country to simultaneously possess reliable energy supply, logistics infrastructure, chemical-industry capabilities, engineering expertise, customer qualification systems, access to financing, policy continuity and transparent pricing mechanisms. Resources can attract investment, but they cannot guarantee project success.

After both sodium-ion battery cathodes and hard carbon anodes recorded significant increases YoY and MoM in May, the midstream and downstream segments of the industry chain—electrolytes and battery cells—also delivered impressive results, yet structural issues lurk beneath the growth.

According to EV media outlet Electrek on June 4 local time, Nissan is launching a project to develop “Cost-effective, Resilient Solid-state Li-S” batteries together with UK battery company Gelion, Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) and the University of Oxford. The project will run for three years, with a total budget of around GBP 3.4 million, or about USD 4.5 million. Of this, Gelion will receive around GBP 2.4 million, or about USD 3.2 million, in UK government funding. The key focus of the project is the development of solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries using sulfur-based cathode materials.

Consumer battery cell manufacturers are generally adopting a wait-and-see attitude, expecting further declines in raw material prices. A few manufacturers have made small-batch restocking purchases, while most are waiting for prices to drop further.