/daily ·19 JUL 2026 ·SUNDAY ·2 MIN READ ·6 STORIES

Two US LFP milestones, one weekend

Ford and a GM-LG joint venture both started making lithium iron phosphate batteries in America for the first time; China simultaneously tightened the vocabulary around what a solid-state battery actually is.

01 / The Day

SUNDAY 19 JUL 2026, ranked

Ford BlueOval starts LFP production — first US automaker to make LFP

Ford began producing lithium iron phosphate cells at its BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall, Michigan — the first time an American automaker has manufactured LFP chemistry domestically. The cells will power Ford's Universal Electric Vehicle platform, debuting with a midsize electric pickup in 2027.

Why it mattersLFP cuts battery cost by removing cobalt and nickel, and US-made LFP qualifies under domestic manufacturing requirements that imported Chinese LFP cannot; Ford has been paying import premiums since the BEV transition began.

01 media.ford.com↗

LG Energy/GM Ultium Cells begins LFP production in Tennessee

Ultium Cells — the LG Energy Solution and GM joint venture — started mass production of JF2 LFP cells at its Spring Hill, Tennessee plant, converting existing EV production lines in under five months. The cells target the US energy storage system market and qualify for IRA domestic manufacturing requirements.

Why it mattersTwo separate LFP manufacturing lines going live in the US in the same weekend marks the moment American battery supply chains begin to exist for LFP, rather than merely sourcing it from Asia.

02 investors.lgenergysolution.com↗

China sets solid-state battery standard; Dongfeng shows 350 Wh/kg cells

China's new national standard for solid-state EV batteries, effective July 1, eliminates vague 'semi-solid' labeling and requires factory-ready manufacturing evidence. Dongfeng is advancing a 0.2 GWh plant with oxide-polymer hybrid cells at 350 Wh/kg, enabling claimed 1,000 km vehicle range.

Why it mattersEvery company in solid-state was calling its product whatever sounded best; China's binding standard forces the field to distinguish actual chemistry from prototype theater.

03 cnevpost.com↗

India POWERGRID tenders 250 MW / 1 GWh of battery storage

Power Grid Corporation of India invited bids for a 250 MW / 1,000 MWh BESS project across multiple locations — a 4-hour duration system to be designed, supplied, and commissioned by the winning contractor.

Why it mattersIndia's state grid authority entering the grid-scale storage market with a 1 GWh tender puts institutional weight behind the country's rapidly growing renewable integration challenge.

04 solarquarter.com↗

GenCost 8: solar and battery costs keep falling through a decade of shocks

CSIRO's GenCost 2026 analysis finds that pandemic inflation, geopolitical conflicts, and data-centre demand bent but did not break the solar and battery cost curves, which continue declining through manufacturing efficiency gains. Gas turbine costs rose; solar kept falling.

Why it mattersThe persistence of the solar and battery cost curve through what should have been a disrupting decade is the strongest empirical case for the energy transition's structural durability.

05 pv-magazine.com↗

APsystems launches plug-in microinverter for US balcony solar

APsystems released the EZ1-LV in the US — a 900 VA dual-channel microinverter that plugs directly into a standard household outlet, designed for balcony panels, rental properties, and DIY installations where a full permitted system is not an option.

Why it mattersThe US has lagged Europe by years in accessible entry-level solar; a plug-in product with a 12-year warranty from a tier-1 manufacturer changes the economics for renters and apartment dwellers who currently have no path to solar.

06 pv-magazine.com↗

Be subscriber #012 the weekly ten, every friday by email · no spam · unsubscribe anytime

Past days

The Daily Archive

/SAT 01 AUGThe Heat Is the Story /FRI 31 JULCalifornia hits 51% monthly solar; China sets record targets /THU 30 JULThe Billion-Dollar Build Edition /WED 29 JULWednesday, 29 July — Sodium-ion arrives; Australia breaks records /TUE 28 JULMalaysia orders the grid; Australia scales the cell /MON 27 JULA Solar Farm Becomes a Data Centre, Wisconsin Campaigns Against Solar, and LONGi Breaks the Tandem Efficiency Record /SUN 26 JULThe Build-Out Accelerates /SAT 25 JULUS battery storage breaks Q1 record; China tightens polysilicon /FRI 24 JULShock and Shine /WED 22 JUL194 gigawatts and a record solar cell /TUE 21 JULStorage everywhere, blockages everywhere /SUN 19 JULTwo US LFP milestones, one weekend /SAT 18 JULOvercapacity meets the taxman /FRI 17 JULFriday in Energy: Sodium Scales, Silicon Shines /WED 15 JULRecords fall, costs diverge /MON 13 JULSolid-state gets a quality stamp /SAT 11 JULThe grid just got bigger /FRI 10 JULSodium, Zinc, and CO2: Storage Diversifies Its Chemistry /THU 09 JULThe grid bottleneck, the cell plant, and the inverter ban /WED 08 JULLDES lands, sodium-ion signs 60 GWh, and US solar manufacturing hits 3 GW /TUE 07 JULSodium Goes Commercial