I am a retired Intel Electrical Engineer. So EVs are a fun topic for me. Of course I own a Tesla and love it. Having said that I love a Silicon Valley startup story more. Lyten battery pilot manufacturing plant used existing manufacturing equipment with about 3% cost add to deal with their Li Sulfur Graphene battery and achieved a 95% yield. They are building a Giga factory in 2025 in Nevada. So who will buy Lyten batteries and why?
First the DOD is mandated to purchase rechargeable batteries that use 100% US or EU sourced material by 2027 (or so). So DOD drones makes sense.
The battery has 2X the energy density. Lighter is better for drones.
It is also half the cost to build as NMC. Everybody likes lower cost to build.
EV vendors are testing the battery. Maybe they will finish in 2027 or so.
Ok 300 mile range for half the price sounds good. Or 600 mile range if you want but you don’t need it.
Ok now the cool part. What if the federal government shifts incentives to only batteries with materials 100 % sourced in the US. You know, what’s good for DOD and US jobs is good for USA.
Ok now the really cool part. Lyten appears to me to be a materials company. They can sell a lot of graphene if the lighter, cheaper more energy dense battery is a must have in the US market. License the product. EV vendors convert their existing manufacturing equipment for a small investment.
Anyway that is one way Lyten could dominate the EV market by 2028.
Did I mention the first version battery is 2X the energy density of NMC today? But the potential energy density could be 3X.
I love a good Silicon Valley start up story.
I guess I should really be pulling for Amprius Silicon anode batteries but either one works for me. I own no stock in both, just like a good Silicon Valley start up.