Lucas TVS ties up with 24M Technologies to build a giga factory for cell production in India

Automotive electrical components manufacturer Lucas TVS and lithium-ion battery technology company 24M Technologies (headquartered in Cambridge, Mass.) have signed a license and services agreement to construct one of the first Giga factories in India using the latter’s SemiSolid^TM platform technology.

The first plant will be set up in Thervoy Kandigai, Gummudipundi, near Chennai and it is expected to begin commercial production in the second half of 2023. Lucas TVS will be the first to introduce SemiSolid^TM lithium-ion batteries produced in India and specifically designed for the Indian market.

Lucas TVS aims to grow the capacity of the plant to a scale of 10 GWh in two stages and also expects to build other plants throughout India. This is a significant announcement at the time when the industry is awaiting the government to issue the RFP for the Production Linked Incentive scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell manufacturing.

About 24M’s SemiSolid platform

24M’s SemiSolid^TM platform is protected by more than 80 issued and 100 pending patents and claims to offer a significantly simpler process flow reducing capital costs substantially. The technology enables the production of a thicker electrode, increasing energy density and reducing materials costs. A company release said that 24M’s cell design enhances safety, reliability, and traceability by virtually eliminating potential metal contamination, the most common cause of shorts in conventional lithium-ion cells. In addition, the SemiSolid^TM electrode eliminates the use of binders and thereby enables the simplest and most efficient recycling of rejected or end of life cells.

The company website claims that their manufacturing process designed around the use of standard lithium-ion supply chain materials, results in greater than 50% CapEx savings versus a conventional manufacturing line.

Lucas TVS plans to build products using different chemistries, in Pouch and Prismatic cell formats. The products will be designed to meet customer needs in e-mobility, stationary energy storage, including grid-scale markets, and lead-acid battery replacement. Lucas TVS will also be offering complete battery solutions to those customers who need them.