Check out news from the battery industry from January 2026. We’ve compiled the biggest stories from January related to lithium ion batteries, battery manufacturing, recycling, safety and more!
As the USA’s demand for lithium-ion batteries soars, developing domestic lithium production has become a national security and supply stability concern which makes tapping America’s brine reserves an important effort.
Read More: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/newgenium-launches-announces-breakthrough-technology-130000373.html?guccounter=2
“This partnership represents a major step forward in supporting the future of electrification”
Read More: https://www.bestmag.co.uk/maccor-and-webasto-partner-on-battery-testing/
In 2026, U.S. battery supply will outstrip demand, ending dependency on imports.
Read More: https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/us-battery-autonomy-will-upend-ev-hierarchy-2026-01-02/
Most conventional batteries rely on a liquid electrolyte that allows lithium ions to move between electrodes. All-solid-state batteries replace this liquid with a solid electrolyte, which greatly improves safety.
Read More: https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-found-a-surprisingly-simple-way-to-improve-solid-state-batteries/
Rice University researchers reveal how they developed a new, cleaner, and more efficient electrochemical approach for recovering lithium.
Read More: https://newatlas.com/energy/battery-charging-lithium-recycling/
Unlike lithium, a somewhat rare element that is currently mined in only a handful of countries, sodium is cheap and found everywhere.
Read More: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/12/1129991/sodium-ion-batteries-2026-breakthrough-technology/
The Impervio separator acts as a barrier within the cell to protect it from dendrites and, together with the battery management system, detect the start of thermal runaway.
Read More: https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/features/battery-testing-advances-target-lithium-ion-safety-in-aerospace.html
This move accelerates mass adoption, boosts recycling efforts, and strengthens China’s dominance in global EV markets. Ultimately, it could redefine sustainable electric mobility worldwide.
Read More: https://www.webpronews.com/china-launches-worlds-first-standards-for-solid-state-ev-batteries/
Short-term material cost fluctuations are driving up lithium battery prices which will impact not only the EV industry buy also data center infrastructure which requires large energy storage systems.
Read More: https://www.whichev.net/2026/01/08/battery-prices-surge-as-global-lithium-costs-increase/
Lumafield researchers CT scanned over a thousand lithium-ion batteries, explore the hidden risks they uncovered in battery manufacturing defects and quality control inconsistencies.
Read More: :https://youtu.be/-Y23nfAOiXQ
Usually, recycling a battery involves melting the materials into a soup through pyrometallurgy. In direct recycling, researchers soak the cathode in a lithium-rich solution like lithium hydroxide and apply heat or pressure.
Read More: https://www.rdworldonline.com/how-designer-solvents-are-changing-battery-recycling/
Fire risk remains low when people follow basic safety guidelines: use the correct charger, avoid physical damage (drops, punctures), don’t overcharge, and pay attention to warning signs such as swelling, excessive heat, unusual odors, or smoke.
Read More: https://www.waste360.com/waste-recycling/why-lithium-battery-ion-safety-and-proper-disposal-matter-more-than-ever