Echion and CBMM open a facility to mass-produce XNO 

The newly constructed plant in Araxá, Brazil, is said to be the “world’s largest niobium-based anode production facility.” According to Echion, it will produce 2,000 tons of XNO there – enough for lithium-ion cells with a total energy content of one gigawatt hour.

Speaking at the opening ceremony event, Jean de La Verpilliere, CEO of Echion Technologies, said: “The opening of this production plant creates robust supply capacity to meet the significant commercial demand we have for XNO. XNO is already having a positive impact on our cell manufacturing customers, downstream OEMs, and end-users. Echion is beginning to trade at scale, and that is a major milestone for company growth. I would like to thank CBMM for their ongoing partnership with Echion to bring XNO to mass production.”

XNO is built with a niobium-based anode material. The product enables “fast, safe charging of lithium-ion batteries, the maintenance of high energy densities even at extreme temperatures and the provision of high performance over a service life of more than 10,000 cycles”. It was designed specifically for heavy-duty EVs, such as electric commercial vehicles and/or electric buses.

For example, Leclanché presented its first cell called XN50 with Echion’s XNO anode in September as an alternative to LTO batteries. LTO batteries are lithium titanate batteries. Although these have a high power density and service life, they only offer a lower energy density – this is where XNO should offer a major improvement. However, the energy density remains rather low compared to other lithium-ion cell chemistries (NMC or LFP), which is why Echion also sees its use in heavy commercial vehicles. The installation space there is not as tight as in electric cars, which is why larger batteries can be installed to achieve the same energy content.

Meanwhile, Echion has bagged £10 million (approx. 12 million euros) investment from Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and existing investor BGF. Echion aims to leverage this fund to accelerate the rate at which partnered cell manufacturers who use XNO can produce. Moreover, the investment will also let Echion have a footprint in key markets by providing additional resources to connect cell manufacturers with industrial OEMs.
 
Jean de La Verpilliere said: “This investment by Barclays and BGF is strong recognition of the value delivered by XNO. By utilising XNO, cell manufacturers can deliver the most-innovative, sustainable, and high performing batteries to facilitate the effective electrification of heavy-duty vehicles. It is gratifying to have some of the world’s leading investors support our ambitions and cement their belief in XNO by investing significant capital. Their investment will enable us to take the next major step forward in our fast-moving company journey.”

Steven Poulter, Head of Principal Structuring and Investments, Barclays, said: “Echion’s leading battery technology is unlocking a long-awaited, economically-viable means of decarbonising heavy-duty vehicles by electrification. By producing fast-charging, high power batteries with minimal deterioration over a life cycle, Echion have overcome the performance and affordability challenges which have prevented electrification of heavy-duty fleets to date.”

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