Watts up? There’s been some record-breaking announcements this week, from Quinbrook securing the largest solar and battery storage financing in UK history, to BYD achieving megawatt-level charging.

But that’s not all, as Mober has opened the largest electric truck charging hub in the Philippines, while Coreshell raises $24 million in funding to scale the production of its metallurgical silicon battery cells.

We’ll be breaking down these stories, and many more, in this weeks edition of Watts Forward.

We hope you have a great weekend!

—Lachlan Cooney

BYD achieves megawatt-level charging

BYD has unveiled its new ground-breaking electric vehicle platform, capable of adding 400 km of range in just 5 minutes.

The so-called "super e-platform" boasts charging speeds of up to 1,000 kW, double what Tesla offer with its latest generation of V4 Superchargers.

BYD's founder, Wang Chuanfu, emphasised that this is the first platform within the industry that is capable of megawatt-level charging.

It is set to debut in the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV, which start at 270,000 yuan, or around $37,000.

In order to support the new technology, the company is also planning to build over 4,000 charging stations across China. Although, no timeline has been announced as of yet.

—Multiple sources

Leapmotor has officially entered the UK's electric vehicle market, starting with its compact T03 and C10 SUV, with plans to release additional models later this year.

Currently, the company is situated at 44 Stellantis dealerships across the country, with plans to expand to 80 by the end of this year.

Additionally, Leapmotor's T03 is now the second cheapest EV in the UK, starting at £15,995, slightly undercutting BYD’s Atto 3.

—Multiple sources

According to Kyodo News, Mitsubishi Motors is planning to outsource its electric vehicle manufacturing to Foxconn, hoping to cut costs and accelerate production.

While Mitsubishi has not confirmed the report, it noted the company's ongoing efforts to explore partnerships, hoping to support its "sustainable growth." Meanwhile, Foxconn declined to comment, but have been eyeing a broader role within the EV industry.

Additionally, Kyodo reported that Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Honda are collaborating on the development of EV software, with an official announcement expected at the end of this month.

—Kyodo News

Volkswagen Group has signed a strategic agreement with China's FAW Group, outlining the joint-ventures model plans through to 2030.

Starting in 2026, FAW-Volkswagen will launch 11 new models, 10 of which will be electrified. This includes 6 fully-electric vehicles, 2 plug-in hybrids, and 2 extended-range electric vehicles.

The models will be built on the company's CMP vehicle platform, integrating Volkswagen Carizon's AI-enhanced ADAS features.

—Multiple sources

Mober opens the largest truck charging hub in the Philippines

Mober, a Philippines-based logistics company, has opened Central Charge, the country's largest commercial electric vehicle charging hub.

The facility is located in Pasay City, spanning around 3,000 metres squared. It features 52 units of 7 kW AC chargers and 4 units of 60 kW DC fast chargers, capable of charging up to 200 electric trucks per day.

Mober plans to double its electric fleet to 240 units by the end of this month, aiming to surpass 500 units by 2026. As a result, the company is already scouting locations for two more hubs, fittingly named Northern Volt and Southern Spark.

—Mober

Singer Electric has partnered with AMPECO, looking to integrate the company's charging management software into its Apollo ecosystem.

Currently, Singer Electric has over 2,000 electric vehicle chargers installed, with a further 500 chargers managed by its Apollo platform. The company plans to reach 2,500 managed chargers by the end of the year, making it the largest network in New Zealand.

By integrating AMPECO's software into its ecosystem, Singer Electric expects to strengthen its full-service offering, which spans energy management, installation, and consulting for company's transitioning to electric mobility.

—Multiple sources

Siemens is restructuring its electric vehicle charging business, cutting around 450 jobs globally by the end of the fiscal year, including 250 in Germany alone.

The company is looking to shift its focus towards its fast-charging infrastructure for both fleets and en-route charging. While Siemens has not confirmed the specifics, reports suggest that its production in Leipzig may be relocated to Corroios, Portugal.

Despite these changes, the company plans to maintain its overall headcount stability in Germany, largely through hiring in other areas of business.

—Siemens

The number of the week is 6,000,000—the total number of electric personal mobility vehicles that will ship over the next 5 years.

As the personal mobility market continues to transition to battery power, DATAportl estimates that the total number of electric personal that will ship globally from 2025 to 2030, inclusive, will grow to more than 600 million. This includes bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, kick scooter, skateboards and hoverboards.

—DATAportl

Quinbrook secures £238.5 million in debt financing

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has secured £238.5 million in debt financing for the Cleve Hill Solar Park, the UK's largest solar and battery storage project.

Cleve Hill Solar Park, located in Kent, features a 373 MW solar farm and a 150 MW battery energy storage system. It is currently set to begin operations later this year.

Once up and running, the project is expected to generate over £480 million in contracted revenues, cut carbon emissions by 142,000 tonnes annually, and contribute £114 million towards local economic benefits.

The financing package combines a £218.5 million term loan and a £20 million VAT facility, marking the largest solar and battery storage financing in UK history.

—Quinbrook

GE Vernova has entered an agreement with RWE, supplying 109 onshore wind turbines for two projects in Texas.

The projects include the Honey Mesquite wind farm, located in Glasscock County, and the Forest Creek wind farm near Big Spring. Once operational, both facilities will generate enough electricity to power over 85,000 homes annually.

Deliveries of the turbines are set to begin later this year, contributing to GE Vernova's installed base of around 56,000 onshore turbines worldwide.

—GE Vernova

Mission Clean Energy has secured a $55 million investment from Ørsted, supporting Mission’s development of solar and battery energy storage projects.

The investment builds on an existing partnership, established in August of 2024, which includes the development of four standalone battery storage projects across the American Midwest.

The additional $55 million will support the expansion of Mission's project pipeline, providing the company with considerable growth capital.

With further backing from Wafra, Mission plans to support the rising energy demands from utilities, data centres, and industrial sectors.

—Mission Clean Energy

NorthStar Clean Energy has secured $334 million in financing, supporting the construction of two major solar projects in Michigan.

One of the projects is Branch Solar, a 200 MW facility located in Branch County, currently the company's largest solar asset in the state. The other is Genesee Solar, a 50 MW facility located in Genesee County.

NorthStar's President, Brian Hartmann, emphasised the companies commitment to creating clean and affordable energy. Together, these projects will generate enough electricity to power nearly 36,000 homes annually.

—NorthStar Clean Energy

Coreshell raises $24 million in funding

Coreshell has secured $24 million in strategic funding, with plans to scale the production of its 60 Ah battery cells.

The funding was anchored by Ferroglobe and Zeon Ventures, with additional investments from Translink Investment, Asymmetry Ventures, and others.

Coreshell will use the funding to support production at its new 4 MWh facility in California. Likewise, the company is looking to continue the development of an additional 100 MWh site.

Coreshell's cells are made with 100% domestically-sourced metallurgical silicon, which the company claims can increase energy density by upward of 40% and cut costs by 25%. Commercial samples will be delivered to global automakers later this year.

—Coreshell

Stena Recycling and Nissan are giving electric vehicle batteries a new lease on life through battery energy storage systems.

Over 80,000 Nissan LEAF's are driving around on Norwegians roads, many of which are no longer suitable for road use. This partnership will ensure that decommissioned LEAF batteries are carefully assessed for reusability, instead of being broken down entirely for raw materials.

At Stena Recycling's facility in Ausenfjellet, the batteries are diagnosed to determine if they can be repurposed for battery energy storage systems or refurbished for further use. This approach can extend a battery's lifespan by up to 15 years.

—Stena Recycling

Altilium has produced the UK's first electric vehicle battery cell using recycled cathode active materials.

The cells were manufactured at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), utilising Altilium's EcoCathode technology. They will now be validated by a leading automotive OEM, helping to support their sustainability targets.

This milestone marks a significant step towards creating a circular economy for EV batteries, facilitating a reduced reliance on imported materials and cutting carbon emissions within battery manufacturing.

—Altilium

PULSETRAIN, a Munich-based startup, has secured €6.1 million in Seed funding to help develop its integrated battery solution.

The company's "In-Battery" approach combines the Battery Management System, inverter, and charging electronics into a single, AI-driven unit. As a result, PULSETRAIN's technology greatly increases efficiency, extending battery lifespan by up to 80%.

The funding was led by Vsquared Ventures and Planet A, with additional participation from Climate Club.

—PULSETRAIN

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