YUMA, AZ – The construction of Statevolt’s gigafactory in the Imperial Valley area continues to advance, with the expected production of batteries for 650,000 electric vehicles per year once it is fully operational.
Statevolt, a leading innovator in sustainable technology, will install its gigafactory in Imperial Valley, just 25 minutes from Yuma, Arizona. This strategic decision marks a pivotal moment for both the company and the region, as it promises economic revitalization and technological advancement.
Statevolt’s choice of Imperial Valley as the site for its gigafactory is supported by several key factors. The company cited that the 150-acre site was chosen for its proximity to the Salton Sea, which has enough lithium to fully meet projected U.S. demand, as well as a projected 40% of global demand.
The site is renowned for its vast expanses of sun-drenched land, making it an ideal location for solar energy harnessing. This fits perfectly with Statevolt’s commitment to sustainability, as the gigafactory will rely heavily on renewable energy sources to power its operations.
The company noted that the new facility will serve as a hub for Statevolt’s ambitious plans to revolutionize the production of lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle components. Leveraging cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices, the company aims to accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral future.
Statevolt was launched by Lars Carlstrom, founder and CEO of Italvolt, which is building a 45 GWh battery factory in Italy, and Britishvolt, which is building a 30 GWh battery factory in the UK. Statevolt announced in April 2023, that it intended its 54 GWh U.S. gigafactory to be one of the largest in North America.
Motivated by the Inflation Reduction Act, Statevolt intends to manufacture batteries for electric vehicle (EV) and storage applications, and stated that it will source materials entirely from the US.
Controlled Thermal Resources will supply lithium to the plant, which will be located near the Salton Sea – estimated to contain between 1 and 6 metric tons of lithium. A team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is leading a research project to determine the concentration of lithium in the geothermal reservoir beneath California’s Salton Sea and to study the most environmentally friendly way to extract it.
According to the Department of Energy, U.S. manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries stood at 55 GWh/year in 2021 and is projected to grow to nearly 1,000 GWh/year by 2030, or enough to supply the manufacture of about 10 to 13 million electric vehicles per year.
Since the passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act in August, automakers and battery companies, such as Statevolt, plan to invest US$54 billion in 37 dedicated EV battery manufacturing facilities.
