SK On, Factorial Energy Team Up to Scale Solid-State EV Batteries
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- SK On and Factorial Energy signed an MOU on Wednesday to assess whether SK On's manufacturing facilities can support production of Factorial's FEST solid-state battery cells at scale
- Factorial CEO Siyu Huang said a 'battery breakthrough only matters if it can be manufactured at scale,' positioning SK On's global manufacturing footprint as critical to integrating FEST into production ecosystems
- Factorial's 77Ah FEST cells achieved 375 Wh/kg energy density over 600+ cycles in Stellantis testing, with ultra-fast charging from 15% to 90% in 18 minutes and operation from -30°C to 45°C at discharge rates up to 4C
- SK On supplies EV batteries to Hyundai, Ford, and Volkswagen and operates more than 200 GWh of annual production capacity globally, including roughly 100 GWh in the US
- Factorial is simultaneously working with Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Kia, and Stellantis; Mercedes drove a modified EQS over 745 miles (1,200 km) on Factorial cells, and Stellantis has integrated FEST into a Dodge Charger Daytona prototype
- Factorial also announced a December partnership with South Korea's POSCO FUTURE M to develop materials for all-solid-state batteries
Why it matters: Factorial is stacking automaker partnerships (Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, Stellantis) and now adding a manufacturing heavyweight in SK On, whose 200+ GWh global capacity includes ~100 GWh in the US — the first partnership aimed squarely at whether the cells can actually be produced at volume rather than just validated in labs.
