Karma and Factorial will launch first U.S. Solid-State battery program for passenger EVs. Karma Automotive partners with Factorial Energy to integrate semi-solid-state batteries into U.S.-built EVs. * Factorial's Semi-Solid-State Batteries to Power Karma's 1,000-HP Electric Super Coupe * FEST battery tech enables lighter weight, extended range, and easier manufacturing integration. * Karma's 2027 Kaveya super coupe will debut the advanced battery platform in a production EV. Karma Automotive and Factorial Energy have announced the first U.S.-based commercial solid-state battery program for passenger vehicles. The partnership will introduce Factorial's FEST battery technology into Karma's upcoming all-electric Kaveya super coupe, launching in 2027. The initiative integrates Factorial's semi-solid-state battery platform with Karma's U.S.-designed and manufactured vehicle architecture. The collaboration will validate solid-state technology in a production-ready vehicle environment. Factorial's FEST (Factorial Electrolyte System Technology) is designed to deliver improved range and performance by using a high-energy electrolyte system. Semi-solid-state chemistry also offers manufacturing advantages, allowing up to 80% of existing lithium-ion battery production equipment to be used, thereby enabling faster commercial deployment. The Kaveya super coupe will be the first Karma model to adopt FEST batteries. Target specifications include more than 1,000 horsepower, top speeds above 320 km/h, and an estimated range exceeding 400 km. The vehicle features a "dog bone" battery layout, with cells arranged in front and rear compartments connected through a central tunnel to improve weight distribution and maintain low seat positioning. Karma, headquartered in Irvine, California, has not yet released a fully electric vehicle. The Kaveya represents its transition from extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), such as the Revero, to fully EVs. The company produced 146 Reveros in 2023 and has delivered fewer than 1,000 units since its inception. Its 2026 model pipeline includes the Gyesera and Amaris, both EREV platforms with anticipated market entry later this year. All Karma vehicles are developed and built in the United States, with manufacturing at the Karma Innovation and Customization Center in Moreno Valley, California. Factorial, based in Massachusetts, also collaborates with global OEMs including Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Hyundai, and Kia. Mercedes-Benz recently tested an EQS prototype powered by FEST cells, while Stellantis is expected to integrate the technology in an upcoming Dodge Charger Daytona EV prototype. Factorial claims that a 90-kWh FEST battery pack could offer between 800 and 1,000 kilometres of range while weighing approximately 263 kilograms.

Karma Automotive and Factorial have announced the first solid-state battery production programme in the United States for passenger vehicles. Factorial's FEST solid-state battery technology will be integrated into Karma's next-generation platform, starting with the all-electric Karma Kaveya super-coupé, scheduled for late 2027. The Kaveya will deliver over 1,000 horsepower and exceed 200mph. Karma had delayed the vehicle's 2025 launch until finding suitable battery technology. Factorial's FEST technology enables higher performance and extended driving range whilst working with up to 80% of existing lithium-ion manufacturing equipment. The collaboration pairs Karma's US-based engineering and production with Factorial's domestically developed battery platform, strengthening American manufacturing capabilities for next-generation electric mobility. Factorial's commercial partnerships include Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Hyundai and Kia.

POSCO Future M backs US solid-state startup. POSCO Future M announced a strategic investment in US-based solid-state battery developer Factorial to gain an early presence in the next-generation battery market. The company extended a partnership originally established in November to jointly develop all-solid-state battery technology. Solid-state batteries replace liquid electrolytes with solid materials, offering potential improvements in safety, energy density, and charging speed. POSCO Future M has tested its cathode materials with Factorial, receiving positive evaluations. The company aims to apply solid-state battery materials to electric vehicles, robotics, and AI applications. The partnership aims to strengthen POSCO Future M's competitiveness as solid-state batteries move toward commercialization. Food for thought. The commercialization timeline and manufacturing scale remain unclear. * Progress has been suggested by POSCO Future M's strategic investment and the companies' November memorandum of understanding to jointly develop all-solid-state battery technology, yet details on near-term effects have not been made public 1, 2. * Clear start-of-production dates for mass-market vehicles have not been set; Reuters reported that Mercedes-Benz and Factorial aim to have the Solstice solid-state battery ready for production by the end of the decade 3. * Production capacity for Factorial's pilot solid-state battery manufacturing facility in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province (South Korea) has not been disclosed, so current readiness for supplying several global automakers cannot be judged 4. Component and equipment suppliers can target the solid-state supply chain. * Specialty chemical and equipment makers can sell into POSCO Future M's solid-state push, since it is developing materials for all-solid-state batteries, including cathode materials, high-capacity silicon and lithium metal anodes (negative electrodes), and sulfide-based solid electrolytes (solid materials that replace the liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion batteries) 4. * That work can drive orders for precursors such as lithium sulfide, plus tools built for steps processes such as dry coating for cathode materials, which Factorial has described for its solid-state battery development work 5, 6. * Vendors can work with POSCO Future M and Factorial at the Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province (South Korea) pilot line, plus Factorial's development and production operations in Massachusetts, to get products considered during validation and scale-up phases 1, 4. How would you feel if you could no longer use Tech in Asia?