Electroflow is 40 % of Chinese producers

The battery world has fallen on the healing of lithium phosphate cells, which is a chemical and permanent chemistry that can reduce the price of the car Thousands of dollars. The definitions and anti -Evangelizers of the American auto manufacturers.

“We believe that LFP is the lost component of energy prosperity. The problem is that it is literally 99 % in China,” Eric MacChan, co -founder and CEO of Electroflow, told Techcrunch. “If we want to get a chance to compete, we must turn this text program.”

Makshan and his co -founder, Ivan Gardner, have developed a technology that they believe is able to undermine Chinese producers at the cost by extracting several steps in the production process. If they can deliver, they can reduce the cost of LPF by up to 20 % while building a local supply chain.

He said: “We looked at the entire mining process, starting from the rock or salty water and reaching a lithium chemical. We were like a man, this is like ten steps.” “It is clear that this is not the best way to do this.”

Many lithium in the world comes from the salty water found under the ground. When pumped on the surface, this brine can be treated to extract the lithium that it contains. The jury in the United States contains millions of tons of lithium, which is enough to produce millions of EVS annually. The capabilities are so great that Exxonmobil Development of a site in ArkansasBut refining costs make competition with Chinese suppliers difficult.

LFP is backed by China selling those around you 4000 dollars per metric ton Today, about a third of what it costs in the United States. But McChan said that once Electroflow is in full production, the company is expected to be able to produce at least 40 % of Chinese producers, all while doing this in the United States.

“In the V1 system – the end of this year – our goal is to be about $ 5,000 per point of production of ton (metric), and we will expand and get less than $ 2,500 per ton (metric),” he said.

Electroflow recently raised a 10 million -dollar seed tour, and has learned Techcrunch exclusively. The tour was led by the tour, Union Square Ventures and Voyageer with the participation of fifty years and Harpoon Ventures.

The process developed by Electroflow takes only three steps to convert salty water into LFP. The start starting recently has proven that the technology that worked on salty salts extracted from a tube on a California thermal energy site.

Electroflow technology depends on the lithium ion batteries itself, and it is not surprising that both Mcshane and Gardner previously search for batteries and battery materials. “We are really fascinated by the idea of ​​using the latest technology, such as battery technology, and its application to other industries that go beyond batteries. The application of battery technology to mining, as is really fruitful,” said Makshan.

But the real inspiration for Electroflow came to Gardner one day when he was riding Caltrain to work in the Gulf region. While people were coming out and outside the trains from the platforms, they photographed them like ions that move between different rooms of the device.

“He drew it on a piece of paper and brought it to me,” McChan said. “I was like a man, this is already working.”

The main technology to start operating is a cell that contains Anodes, when running in one direction, lithium ions absorb from a saline solution, then, in another, launch it in water containing carbonate. Upon completion of both corridors, the result is the lithium carbonate ready to interact with phosphate, iron and other reagents to produce a ready -made LFP powder to charge to a battery factory. For manufacturers who want to make something other than LFP, Electroflow can stop the process early and only send them lithium carbonate.

MacChan said the system is fully working on electricity, and requires the production of 50 metric tons of lithium carbonate annually, up to one American family. The water used in the carbonate step can be recycled to a large extent. “We do not use a lot of electricity. We do not use a lot of water,” he said.

When the system is completely completed, it will be filled inside a 20 -foot shipping container and is able to generate 100 metric tons of LFP materials annually.

“We will take out these electrochemical cell chimneys and be really able to treat a lot of brine across the United States,” Makshan said. It is confident that the company will be able to undermine the Chinese producers, even within a few years when Electroflow reaches commercial production.

He said: “Unless the methods in China change that the clean and completely clean solution as we do, they cannot get much less than this,” he said.