In Q2 2026, the solid‑state battery industry reached a critical policy and standards inflection point. China’s MIIT designated all‑solid‑state batteries as a key R&D priority, and the world’s first national standard for automotive solid‑state batteries (GB/T 43568‑2026) took effect on July 1.

Honda Motor has begun producing batteries for artificial intelligence (AI) data center energy storage systems (ESS) at its Ohio facility in the US, which was originally built for electric vehicle battery production. The plant, established through a joint venture with LG Energy Solution, has shifted part of its capacity to ESS batteries following slower-than-expected EV demand. Honda said the facility will also be capable of producing hybrid vehicle batteries in the future, with output adjusted according to market demand.

L-H Battery Company, the U.S. joint venture between LG Energy Solution and Honda, announced on July 3 that it began mass production of lithium-ion battery cells for ESS at its plant in Jeffersonville, Fayette County, Ohio, on July 2 local time.

On June 30, Honda Motor announced that the planned capital structure adjustment and consolidation of Astemo, originally scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, will be postponed to the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2027, as antitrust reviews and related regulatory approvals in certain countries and regions have not yet been completed.Under the previous agreement, Honda will acquire an additional 21% stake in Astemo from Hitachi. After the transaction is completed, Astemo’s shareholding structure will be adjusted to 61% held by Honda, 19% by Hitachi, and 20% by JIC Capital, making Astemo a consolidated subsidiary of Honda. Honda said the move is aimed at accelerating Astemo’s capabilities in AI, software, and software-defined vehicles (SDVs), while strengthening the group’s overall competitiveness.

CMR Green Technologies, India’s largest non-ferrous metal recycler, is expected to make a strong stock market debut after its IPO was subscribed more than 127 times. The INR 6.31 billion (USD 66.3 million) offering attracted strong interest from institutional, non-institutional and retail investors, while grey market premiums indicate a potential listing gain of around 36%. CMR is a leading supplier of secondary aluminum products with an estimated 42-45% share of India’s automotive cast alloy market, serving customers including Maruti Suzuki, Honda Cars India, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp. The company operates 13 recycling facilities across India and produces recycled aluminum alloys, billets and other non-ferrous metal products. Growing demand from electric vehicles, recycling initiatives and decarbonization efforts is expected to support the company’s long-term growth outlook.

Leveraging the dual-carbon strategy and the development trend of circular economy, China's recycled metal industry leads the world in scale while facing numerous development challenges. To help enterprises seize policy and market opportunities and address industry challenges, SMM will host the 2026 SMM Recycled Metal Industry Summit Forum & Casting Technology Special Session in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province from August 17 to 18, 2026 . Wuhan Hongjin Metal Aluminum Co., Ltd. cordially invites you to jointly witness and participate in building an international platform for exchange, cooperation, resource sharing, and collaborative innovation, contributing to the construction and improvement of a global resource recycling system and supporting the transition to a green economy. Click the to sign up now. Booth No.: E6 Hongjin New Materials Group , with 30 years of expertise in cast aluminum alloy, is a 10-billion-yuan industry leader integrating R&D, production, and services. The group operates 10 modern production sites globally and two provincial-level new materials research institutes, with low-carbon aluminum capacity exceeding 1.2 million mt in 2025. We are committed to providing one-stop lightweight solutions, including aluminum alloy ingots, molten aluminum supply, and proprietary large integrated die-cast heat-treatment-free aluminum alloys ready for mass production. Our products are widely used in cutting-edge fields such as NEVs and 5G communications, serving as designated suppliers for top automakers like Tesla, BYD, and BBA, as well as tech giants like Google and Amazon. Hongjin New Materials fully embraces green and low-carbon practices, partnering globally to "cast the future." I. Core Strengths 1.5 million mt+ : Annual low-carbon aluminum capacity in 2025 10 billion yuan+ : Group annual revenue 10 production sites : Based in China (south/central/east China) and expanding ex-China 2 research institutes : Two provincial-level new materials research institutes II. Core Products & Services One-stop lightweight solutions from materials to processes: Key Services : Premium aluminum alloy ingots | molten aluminum supply | melting and holding integrated services Proprietary Materials : High thermal conductivity, high electrical conductivity, high strength, and high wear-resistant aluminum alloys Industry Frontiers : Large integrated die-cast heat-treatment-free aluminum alloys (approved by OEMs with mass production capability) Full Alloy Coverage Standard Series : Main alloys including ADC12, A380, A356, and ALSI10MNMG. Exclusive Patented Series : HJ Series (HJ03-16), HCS09, HS330, and other proprietary grades. III. World-Class Partner Network Products are widely applied in core sectors such as automotive, new energy, low-altitude economy, and 3C electronics. Global Leading Automakers : BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volkswagen, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Nissan. New Energy Pioneers : Tesla, BYD, NIO, XPeng, Xiaomi, Geely. Technology and Ecosystem Giants : CATL, DJI, Inovance ( Google and Amazon qualified supplier ). IV. Green, Low-Carbon, and Quality Commitment Safeguarding your supply chain security with the highest international standards: System Certifications : IATF 16949, ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001 / 50001:2018. Green Development : Carbon footprint and greenhouse gas verification completed, deeply engaged in ESG and ASI (Aluminium Stewardship Initiative) advancement. Contact Information Sales Center: South China Team - Sales Head - He Chijia 138 2754 9148 Central China Team - Sales Head - Li Hongwei 136 1832 5655 East China Team - Sales Head - Han Yaobin 159 5327 5580 Hongbang Team - Sales Head - Yang Zhenjiang 139 2263 2929 Website: SMM Conference Contact Zhou Shiyang Phone: 17278238856 Email:

LG Energy Solution announced on May 19 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Honda and the city of Hanoi to cooperate on building public battery swapping stations for electric two-wheelers. Starting in the third quarter of this year, the parties will build around 50 battery swapping stations in major areas of Hanoi and introduce 500 electric two-wheelers to begin the demonstration project.

[Toyota and Honda Both Saw Sharp Declines in China Sales, January-April] From January to April this year, Toyota's cumulative sales in China fell 10% YoY to 477,100 units; Honda's cumulative sales in China over the same period plunged 28% YoY to 145,065 units.

[Honda's April Sales in China Fell 48% YoY] Amid intensifying competition from Chinese domestic automakers and rising fuel prices dampening consumers' car purchase willingness, Honda's auto sales in China saw a sharp decline in April. Honda announced that its April new car sales in China were 22,595 units, down 48% YoY, with flagship car models such as the Accord seeing stagnant sales. GAC Honda, a joint venture between Honda and GAC Group, saw April sales plunge 64% YoY to 8,384 units; Dongfeng Honda, a joint venture with Dongfeng Group, saw sales decline 31% YoY to 14,211 units.

Benefiting from the backdrop of tech companies investing heavily in artificial intelligence computing, the adoption of Arm (ARM.O) chip technology continued to rise. The company on Wednesday forecast its first fiscal quarter revenue at $1.26 billion, above market expectations of $1.25 billion. Arm CEO Rene Haas said, "We are very bullish on data center demand," adding that there was "pretty significant growth in data center-related royalties" during the quarter. Earlier this year, Arm launched the AGI CPU, a data center chip designed to handle the large-scale data processing required for specific types of AI. The company said on Wednesday that it had secured $2 billion in client demand for the processor for fiscal years 2027 and 2028.