LFP Gigafactory in Arizona - Major General John S. Kem (ABF)
Description
Our guest for today's episode is John S. Kem, President of American Battery Factory. ABF is currently building up a 4-GWh LFP gigafactory in Tucson, Arizona. A business approach, you wouldnt necessarily see in Europe.
Asking John Kem about strong Chinese battery cell competitors such as BYD or CATL doesn't upset him much: The market for lithium-iron phosphate cells is growing largely within the US. Plus, in times of America-First politics the need for a domestic battery cell production seems to be substantial. So why not ramp-up an LFP line in Arizona?
LFP cells (compared to NMC battery cells) are considered to be much more (1) cost effective, (2) more durable, (3) more environmentally friendly and (4) safer. That's why John Kem is certain that there will be many battery producers in the United States building stationary storage systems in the foreseeable future.