Gotion High-Tech sparked a wave of optimism after it announced last year that its highly anticipated 621-mile EV battery pack would soon begin mass production, and the China-headquartered company has reportedly been working to uphold that promise.
According to Energy Storage News, the battery maker's new factory in Fremont, California, manufactured its first battery pack near the end of December.
While the Silicon Valley plant is focused on the markets for portable and residential energy storage (ESS) rather than the battery cells themselves, the outlet noted that it was a promising step toward Gotion's "'Made in USA' production strategy."
Gotion, whose revolutionary Astroinno lithium-ion battery allows electric vehicles to drive 621 miles on a single charge, also intends to open plants in Illinois and Michigan.
The latter state's EV battery production facility is already under construction. Meanwhile, the Illinois factory — which will focus on ESS solutions, as well as cell and pack production — was just announced in September and is expected to create a minimum of 2,600 full-time jobs.
"Today, we take another leap forward, announcing the largest electric vehicle battery production investment in Illinois to date. It's my pleasure to welcome a world-leading battery manufacturer — Gotion — to Illinois," Governor JB Pritzker said at the time, per Energy Storage News.
Gotion Global executive president Cheng Qian said in May that the battery, which took 10 years to develop, can fast-charge in only 18 minutes and has "passed all safety tests" — in addition to providing the astounding single-charge range thanks in part to its use of new electrolyte additives, according to InsideEVs.
A unique "sandwich structure," as described by the outlet, also makes the battery lighter, reducing the number of parts used in the design by 45%, while the battery itself can endure more than two million miles over the course of its lifetime.
All of this is great news for both the U.S. job market and our environment.
As Energy Storage News pointed out, the Inflation Reduction Act has attracted more money to the U.S. battery manufacturing market, with billions being invested into gigafactory initiatives.
Meanwhile, transitioning to less polluting modes of transportation and being more mindful with our resources are ways to help slow down rising global temperatures.
Range anxiety is a significant factor holding some people back from adopting EVs, making Gotion's battery breakthrough an even more exciting proposition.
"Today, we have made a name for ourselves in the Americas market, and with the help of the Illinois battery factory and Michigan material factory, Gotion will work together with customers to build a localized and diversified supply chain," Li Chen, the president of Gotion Americas Business, said after Fremont produced the battery pack, as reported by PR Newswire.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Cool Picks
