Sila opens the United States to make silicone silic

Sila began to start battery materials, its operations on Tuesday in its facility in Lake Musa, Washington. The factory, which will initially be able to make enough battery materials for 20,000 to 50,000 EVS, is the first silicone Anode factory on a large scale in the West, and future expansion can fulfill the request of up to 2.5 million cars.

Anodes silicone is to improve energy density in lithium -ion batteries by up to 50 %. The technology that Sila has been working on over the past 14 years can be the best chance for the United States to get the upper hand in a world battery sovereignty race, Stray Participant founder and CEO Jin Berdeshvsky He argues.

“When you invent something new, it is much easier to produce it as you invent it.”

Sila currently has agreements to provide Anoud materials Panasonic and Mercedes. Although car manufacturers and suppliers will be the main axis of the factory, Berdichevsky said that his company was also selling to drone manufacturers, satellite companies and consumer electronics companies.

The start starting is not the only company that works on silicone anode materials. Group14,, Which also has operations in Lake Moussa, currently produces its royal mix in a factory developed with SK innovation in South Korea. Amprius, a company based in Fremont, produces Megawatt-Hours, with the value of its materials in the United States and Gigawatt-Hours with partners in China.

But Berdeshevsky said that the Sila Moussa Lake factory, who was under construction for nearly two years, “The first Anud Silicon factory in the United States.” Company Rapid $ 375 million last year To help finance the project.

In Washington State, Sila found a meeting close to the factors that allowed her to build the facility, including cheap hydroexor, abundant lands, and a resource close to an important raw component.

He said: “The structure of the cost of this technology depends on low -cost energy – one of the large inputs – then some of the main sects, and we have it in Washington.”

The first material of materials will be used in the Moses Lake factory to show customers that the materials are consistent with the things they were taking their samples over the past few years, which were made in the search and development line in Alaeda.

“We have a lot of confidence in that, but it is clear that the evidence is in candy,” said Bordetchevsky.

Within a few years, he said that the batteries made using Sila materials should be cheaper than those made of graphite graphite materials from Western suppliers. (Chinese companies make graphite anudita for less, but they also receive generous government subsidies and have fewer environmental regulations.

Silicon anuditages can also allow auto companies to reduce the amount of other price materials used in their batteries, including nickel, while maintaining the same level of performance. He said: “Now you have the same performance, in addition to you get fast fees, in addition to that you are getting local supplies, and reach a lower cost.”

If the demand proves strong, then Sila has plans to expand beyond Lake Musa.

“There is no CEO of the Western auto industry who does not believe that within a decade, or perhaps 15 years, they will sell almost all electric cars.” “If you operate it 10 years from now, you may have 10 million EVS in the United States, so we will need multiple sites,” said Berdichevsky.

In the end, the company will look forward to expanding in Europe and Asia as well, but Berdeshvsky, who was born in Ukraine, is determined to commit his commitment to the United States.

“As a country, if you do not make things, where will your pride come?” He said. “I think it is very important for us as a country to continue to learn to do this and create the ecosystem so that we cannot fail again.”