Drafting vs. Engineering: Choosing the right partner for commercial projects

American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) (NASDAQ: ABAT), an integrated critical battery materials company, and Call2Recycle, the nation’s largest consumer battery stewardship and collection program, announced a strategic partnership to advance the recycling of lithium-ion batteries for consumers across the United States. This collaboration expands ABTC’s business model from primarily business-to-business operations to include a direct-to-consumer recycling channel, creating a more robust circular economy for essential battery metals.

Call2Recycle collects end-of-life lithium-ion batteries from consumers and businesses through its extensive network of drop-off locations. Through this partnership, subsets of these batteries will then be transported to ABTC’s advanced recycling facilities. ABTC will process these batteries using its award-winning, closed-loop recycling system, which is designed to recover critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese with high efficiency and a low environmental footprint. This initiative marks a significant step forward in making battery recycling more accessible and effective for the public.

“This partnership with Call2Recycle is a pivotal moment for ABTC, as it allows us to directly engage with consumers and extend the reach of our innovative recycling technologies,” stated Ryan Melsert, CEO of American Battery Technology Company. “By creating a seamless and accessible pathway for the public to recycle their batteries, we are not only expanding our operational scope but also reinforcing the domestic supply chain for critical minerals, which is essential for a sustainable energy future.”

This strategic alliance directly addresses the critical need to keep valuable battery metals within the domestic supply chain, reducing America's dependence on foreign sources for these essential materials. By providing consumers with accessible recycling options, the partnership ensures that valuable battery materials are recovered and reintroduced into the manufacturing cycle rather than ending up in landfills.

Call2Recycle's established network has already facilitated the recycling of over 160 million pounds (> 70,000 tonnes) of batteries. The organization's comprehensive approach to battery recycling education and accessibility makes it the ideal partner for expanding consumer access to ABTC's advanced recycling capabilities.

“At Call2Recycle, our mission is to make battery recycling as convenient as possible for everyone, and our partnership with ABTC is a powerful force in achieving that goal,” said Leo Raudys, CEO of Call2Recycle. “Combining a subset of our collection network with ABTC’s cutting-edge recycling process creates a solution that benefits consumers, the environment, and the U.S. economy. Together, we are leading the charge for a circular and sustainable battery ecosystem.”

The collaboration addresses the growing challenge of electronic waste and the increasing demand for critical minerals driven by the proliferation of electric vehicles and consumer electronics. By keeping these valuable materials within a domestic supply chain, the partnership helps reduce reliance on foreign sources and promotes national energy security. This effort is crucial for building a resilient and self-sufficient manufacturing base for next-generation energy technologies in the United States.

American Battery Technology Company | https://americanbatterytechnology.com/

Call2Recycle | call2recycle.org

Beam Global, (Nasdaq: BEEM), a leading provider of innovative and sustainable infrastructure solutions for the electrification of transportation and energy security, has been granted another new patent by the United States Patent Office. The patent covers Beam Global’s Intelligent Battery Thermal Management (iBTM) system, which enables fast charging of lithium-ion batteries under extreme cold conditions. The patent is titled Fast Charging Batteries at Low Temperatures with Battery Pack Preheating.

The U.S. Patent Office granted Patent No. US 12,431,549 for Beam Global’s iBTM technology. Unlike conventional fast-charging solutions that rely heavily on complex active cooling systems, Beam’s innovation integrates a heating element with its proprietary Phase Change Composite (PCC) material to intelligently regulate battery temperature. The system dynamically manages charging rates, monitors battery health, and increases both the performance and lifecycle of lithium-ion batteries.

“We continue to create new technology and intellectual property, which increases the value we deliver to the industry while also increasing barrier to entry for the competition,” said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Beam Global. “Our passive thermal management solution can now also provide active temperature control using the technology we have developed and protected with this patent. Being able to fast charge in lower temperatures expands the applications which batteries can support. Expanding those applications creates more opportunities for Beam Global’s energy storage solutions and as such creates new opportunities for sustainable and defendable growth. Congratulations Beam Team!”

Beam’s iBTM is integrated with the smart battery management system and power electronics control, enabling continuous, dynamic fast charging while accurately estimating the state of charge and state of health. Effective thermal management is essential to prevent lithium plating, solid electrolyte interphase breakdown, and other degradation reactions that typically occur during fast charging at low temperatures. With its combination of PCC™ material and integrated resistive heating, the system can precondition batteries for fast charging even at ultra-low temperatures. Early simulations demonstrated a 10°C temperature increase in under three minutes, enabling safe, rapid charging in extreme cold.

The patented iBTM technology significantly enhances safety, extends cycle life, and provides a scalable, intelligent solution for electric mobility, defense, energy storage, and other applications where reliability and performance in all climates are essential.

Beam Global | https://beamforall.com/

ACT-ion Battery Technologies, Inc. (“ACT-ion”), an innovator in battery material manufacturing, announced it has signed a lease for a new facility at 1200 Tappan Circle in Carrollton, Texas. This site will house a state-of-the-art pilot plant dedicated to scaling its clean high-throughput manufacturing process for cathode active materials (CAM) used in next-generation batteries.

The new pilot plant marks a critical step in ACT-ion's mission to commercialize its technology, which is designed to significantly reduce the cost, environmental impact, and manufacturing time of essential battery components. By locating in Carrollton, a key city within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, ACT-ion positions itself within a robust industrial and technological ecosystem.

“This pilot plant is a pivotal moment for ACT-ion. It's where our vision for a cleaner and more economical battery future begins to take physical form,” said Jin Lim, CEO of ACT-ion. “We are developing a process that will revolutionize CAM production, a critical bottleneck in the battery supply chain. Choosing Carrollton was a strategic decision; the city’s proactive support for innovation and its prime location in a major logistics hub provide the ideal environment for us to scale our operations and attract top talent. We are excited to build our foundation here and contribute to the region's growing reputation as a center for clean energy technology.”

The establishment of the pilot plant is expected to create new high-tech jobs and strengthen the local supply chain for the rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage sectors. The City of Carrollton has welcomed ACT-ion as a valuable addition to its diverse and forward-thinking business community.

"We're excited to welcome ACT-ion to the City,” Carrollton Mayor Steve Babick said. “ACT-ion’s investment in advanced battery materials is not only a win for our local economy, but also a step toward strengthening the clean energy supply chain right here in our community. We look forward to seeing the impact their growth will have in furthering City Council’s vision of Carrollton as the place businesses and families want to call home.”

ACT-ion's innovative manufacturing process aims to address key challenges in the battery industry by eliminating byproducts and reducing energy consumption, water usage, and the overall physical footprint associated with traditional CAM production. The scale-up of this transformative technology has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), underscoring its potential impact on strengthening the domestic energy supply chain.

ACT-ion Battery Technologies | https://www.act-ion.com/

City of Carrollton | www.cityofcarrollton.com

Smart energy company GridBeyond announced the launch of ViewPoint Lens, an innovative new feature within its flagship platform Point. Designed to offer users deeper visibility and control, ViewPoint Lens provides customers with data on each of their assets on how they perform during demand response events, and the revenues they generate from program participation.

As the energy landscape evolves due to the changing energy mix, increased demand from load growth, and volatile peaks in energy demand, ViewPoint Lens provides critical support by helping customers make sense of complex energy behaviours and responses.

For businesses participating in Demand Response (DR) programs, ViewPoint Lens will offer a clear view into performance. Customers can quickly identify their load profile, track how they responded during DR events, and assess the impact of their participation. Additionally, the platform includes revenue summaries that make it easy to understand financial outcomes linked to energy activities.

“ViewPoint Lens is about making our customers more aware of how their assets respond to DR events and the opportunities available,” said Kelly Lorincz, Head of Sales for North America at GridBeyond. “By making energy data more accessible, insightful, and action-oriented, we're helping businesses not only navigate complexity—but also take strategic control of their energy use and revenue potential. ViewPoint Lens drives smarter, cleaner, and more efficient energy use across the commercial and industrial landscape and it’s a great advantage for our customers.”

“The new ViewPoint Lens features will be initially available in the ERCOT and SPP markets in the USA, with planned expansion into Ireland and the UK in early 2026,” said Donal Murray, Senior Product Manager at GridBeyond. “ViewPoint Lens’ user-friendly technology helps customers to understand how to optimise their energy consumption and maximise their revenues. I look forward to enrolling this new product in all our markets.”

GridBeyond | www.gridbeyond.com

Momentum Technologies ("Momentum"), a company revolutionizing critical mineral and metal recovery for reuse, announced it has successfully proven its ability to deliver commercial-quality battery materials at scale. The company's state-of-the-art demonstration unit in Carrollton, Texas has achieved commercial-grade purity and yield within the first year of the facility's opening, marking a critical milestone in the company's scale-up journey from pilot-scale operations to full commercial readiness.

This rapid validation demonstrates the maturity and robustness of Momentum's proprietary Membrane Solvent Extraction (MSX) technology. The achievement represents the culmination of a systematic scale-up process that began with pilot-scale validation and has now been proven at demonstration scale. The company has consistently produced high-purity nickel, cobalt, and lithium streams from end-of-life batteries, with yields exceeding 90% and product purity over 99%, meeting the stringent quality specifications required by battery manufacturers, including battery-grade purity for nickel sulfate. Product quality was validated by a third party industry partner.

“This facility was designed to validate our process at scale, and today's results confirm its success,” said Mahesh Konduru, CEO of Momentum. “This achievement demonstrates that our technology is commercially viable and ready for widespread deployment. We've proven that a domestic, circular supply chain for critical minerals is more than possible, it's operational and scalable for industrial applications.”

The successful scale-up from pilot to demonstration scale has enabled Momentum to optimize its proprietary MSX technology while implementing critical systems-level improvements. These include enhanced process controls, reagent recovery, and modular design configurations, all refinements that validate the technology's readiness for commercial-scale deployment and are being directly incorporated into the company's planned facility in Ohio.

“This milestone represents the successful completion of our scale-up trajectory,” said Preston Bryant and Robert Miles, Co-Founders of Momentum. “We've systematically proven our MSX technology at each stage from pilot to demonstration scale, confirming that we can consistently deliver commercial-quality materials from end-of-life batteries. Achieving this validation within one year of opening our Carrollton facility underscores the efficiency of our approach and positions us for the next phase of commercial deployment.”

The Carrollton facility's proven performance serves as the operational blueprint for Momentum's commercial expansion, including its planned Ohio facility, demonstrating that the company can reliably deliver the high-quality battery materials needed to support the fast-growing critical minerals and energy storage markets.

Momentum Technologies | momentum.technology

Skycharger, in partnership with Electric Era, announced the commissioning of a new public fast-charging site at Palomar Valero, located at 873 Palomar Street in Chula Vista. The project represents a key milestone in the companies' ongoing collaboration to expand EV charging access along the I-5 corridor from Washington state to the Mexico border.

The new site is equipped with four dual-port fast chargers, each delivering 200 kilowatts of power, enabling up to eight vehicles to charge simultaneously. It also features a grid-tied battery energy storage system that supplements available grid power with 120 kW, helping to balance peak demand and manage time-of-use variations. By integrating charging and storage, the project provides drivers with reliable service while supporting local grid stability.

"This site is an important location, providing corridor charging for cross-border traffic, as well as local EV drivers from the neighboring communities of Chula Vista and National City," said Johannes Copeland, Chief Operating Officer of Skycharger. "By working with industry leaders like Electric Era, we're not only able to deliver advanced, battery-backed charging infrastructure today, but also to enable the transition to zero-emission transportation for both drivers and fleets across the region."

Electric Era provided a fully integrated fast charging solution, combining the charging dispensers, battery energy storage system, and energy management system that enables the site to operate with greater efficiency and resilience. Tait Services served as the EPC contractor, managing site construction and station installation. Together, the partners brought the site online to serve drivers and support grid stability in one of the nation's busiest transportation corridors.

"Building the next generation of EV infrastructure requires both speed and intelligence," said Kyler Schmitz, Chief Revenue Officer of Electric Era. "This site demonstrates how battery-backed fast charging can deliver dependable service to drivers while supporting utilities and communities. It's a model for what reliable, widespread EV charging should look like."

The commissioning of the Chula Vista site follows recent milestones in Williams, CA and Arlington, WA and marks the continued buildout of Skycharger's West Coast network, designed to ensure reliable charging access for both passenger and commercial EVs. In the San Diego region, Skycharger is also advancing development of electric fleet and drayage truck stop projects to accelerate the transition to zero-emission freight transportation, contributing towards State, local, and Port emissions reduction targets.

Skycharger | www.skycharger.com

Electric Era | https://electricera.tech/

Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MAXN), a global leader in solar innovation and channels, together with its Preferred Partner, Chicago-based Hardt Electric, have announced a successful new solar energy installation to help power the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) headquarters in Glenview, Illinois.

CHEST's solar system is projected to generate approximately 341,000 kWh annually, offsetting nearly 30% of the facility's electricity use. That translates into avoiding about 242 metric tons of CO₂ emissions each year—the equivalent of taking 54 cars off the road, eliminating the burning of 27,000 gallons of gasoline, or planting 4,000 tree seedlings and growing them for a decade. Beyond reducing carbon, this shift lessens harmful pollutants that contribute to asthma and other respiratory conditions, directly supporting CHEST's mission to advance lung health and improve air quality for the Chicagoland community.

"The solar installation at CHEST headquarters reflects our continued commitment to social responsibility and to advancing lung health," said Robert Musacchio, PhD, CEO of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST). "By lessening our reliance on conventional energy sources, we are addressing one of the leading contributors to air pollution, which is closely linked to respiratory disease." 

Hardt Electric, serving as the project's EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contractor, designed and installed a roof-mounted PV system tailored to CHEST's facility and energy goals, consisting of over 560 highly efficient and exceptionally reliable solar panels from renewable energy innovator Maxeon.

"Maxeon solar technology has been developed through over four decades of research and innovation, delivering industry-leading efficiency and durability," said Michael Hynes, Business Development Manager at Maxeon. "Our panels capture more sun in low light conditions—creating more energy earlier in the morning, on cloudy days, and later in the evening. And Maxeon panels maintain their power advantage over time with the industry's lowest degradation rate. This technology allows Maxeon to have an industry-leading, 40-year warranty that important installations like CHEST can depend on to produce clean energy for decades."

For Hardt Electric, the CHEST project represents more than a technical achievement—it reflects shared values. Both organizations are committed to sustainability, health, and building a cleaner future for communities in Chicago and beyond.

"CHEST is a leader in advocating for lung health, and this project demonstrates that their values extend beyond clinical care into environmental stewardship," said Peter Hardt, President of Hardt Electric. "We're proud to deliver an energy solution that supports their mission, supports a healthy environment, and offers an R.O.I that will help this organization focus funding that advances pulmonary health."

Maxeon Solar Technologies | www.maxeon.com