Stellantis invests in clean batteries

Stellantis invests in clean batteries

Sodium-ion technology offers a lower cost per kilowatt hour and does not require lithium or cobalt. The abundantly available sodium offers advantages in terms of sustainability and independence from raw materials. French company Tiamat was one of the eleven top-performing technology start-ups recognized with the Stellantis Ventures Award in 2023 and is also the first company in the world to recently commercialize sodium ion technology in an electrified product. This promises more cost-effective energy storage compared to the lithium-ion battery technology that is prevalent today.

“Exploring new options for more sustainable and affordable batteries using widely available raw materials is an important part of our ambitions as part of our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2038,” said Ned CURIC, Stellantis Chief Engineering and Technology Officer. "Our customers expect zero-emission vehicles that offer a combination of sufficient range, performance and affordability. This is our star, and Stellantis is already working with partners today to develop groundbreaking technologies for the future." The switch to electric drive is one of the most important pillars of the “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan. This includes the goal of achieving a sales mix of 100 percent battery-electric passenger vehicles (BEVs) in Europe and 50 percent for cars and commercial vehicles in the United States by 2030. Against this background, Stellantis secures around 400 GWh of battery capacity. The company is on track to achieve net zero carbon emissions target (across all scopes) by 2038. The remaining emissions (in the single-digit percentage range) are to be offset.

To implement this plan, Stellantis has secured the supply of raw materials for electric vehicles until 2027 by signing key agreements around the world. Stellantis is also investing in the development of alternative technologies for energy storage, such as solid-state batteries (together with Factorial Energy), lithium-sulfur chemistry (with Lyten Inc.) and sodium-ion chemistry (with Tiamat). Tiamat is a spin-off from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). The company will use the proceeds from the financing round, in which Stellantis Ventures also participates, to build a sodium-ion battery plant in France. This facility will initially be dedicated to power tools and stationary storage applications and will then subsequently ramp up manufacturing of second generation components for BEV applications.