EnPower announces U.S. li-ion battery manufacturing facility
EnPower, Inc. is pleased to announce a customer qualification facility located in Indianapolis, IN where it will produce up to 800-MWh of advanced Li-ion batteries annually for a variety of markets. The facility is equipped with a pouch cell manufacturing line purchased from EnerDel, Inc. The purchase reduces overall capex requirements and accelerates EnPower’s time to market by 24 months.
Today, more than 80% of all Li-ion batteries are made in Asia. As the electric vehicle market continues to grow, securing domestic supply of advanced Li-ion cells is critical, not just in automotive, but in many smaller markets as well. “We are committed to being part of the solution for the U.S. battery supply chain. This is the first step towards volume production to serve U.S. markets and others seeking advanced Li-ion technology,” said Annette Finsterbusch, President and CEO.
The 92,000 sq. ft facility consists of 20,000 sq. ft. of dry room space and is equipped with two coating lines, capable of producing over 2 million square meters of electrodes annually, and four pouch cell assembly lines. In addition to the production equipment, the purchase also includes a full suite of analytical and reliability testing equipment and cycling channels. EnPower plans to invest in equipment upgrades and automation in 2022 to modernize the facility and will add additional assembly lines to expand the capacity and range of cell form factors.
“A customer qualification facility is critical to scale production, optimize cell geometries, complete comprehensive cell testing, and secure sales agreements,” said Earl Wiggins, VP, Operations and Manufacturing. The first qualification samples containing EnPower’s multilayer anodes will be produced in the first half of 2022.
EnPower will continue to operate its R&D facility in Phoenix, AZ to develop next-generation Li-ion technologies. The company is currently hiring production associates, engineers, and maintenance technicians for the Indianapolis facility and looks forward to becoming an integral part of the Indiana ecosystem.
About EnPower, Inc.
EnPower, Inc. is a lithium-ion battery company poised to become the U.S. leader in advanced battery manufacturing. EnPower’s technology advantage lies in its patented multilayer electrodes, which address the trade-off between energy and power. High energy density cells with EnPower’s electrodes can repeatedly fast charge without degradation to service life, solving a critical challenge to the mass adoption of electric vehicles. EnPower has two facilities: a 240-kWh R&D line in Phoenix, AZ and an 800-MWh customer qualification facility in Indianapolis, IN.
Media Contact: Louise Hardman, Director of Strategic Marketing, [email protected]