Stellantis NV's solid-state battery partner on Thursday said it has acquired a facility in Massachusetts it will expand for a pilot production plant as a part of a $45 million investment.
Factorial Inc., which does business as Factorial Energy, is working to create an electric-vehicle battery with a solid material instead of the liquid electrolyte used in today's lithium-ion batteries. Researchers say the battery from the startup based in Woburn, Massachusetts, outside Boston, will reduce the risk for fires and offer increased range. Factorial is seeking to match Stellantis' goal of installing its solid-state batteries into production vehicles in 2026.
The manufacturing plant in nearby Methuen, Massachusetts, will produce the proprietary Factorial Electrolyte System Technology cells, known as FEST. Slated to open in early 2023, it will create 166 jobs after a buildout of the existing 67,000-square-foot building.
