In October 2025’s Recharge podcast, co-presenters Matt Fernley (Battery Materials Review) and Cormac O’Laoire (Electrios Energy) unpack takeaways from LME Week and what they mean for the battery value chain, including: The split views on lithium—bulls vs bears—and why inventories over the next 2–3 months will be decisive EV demand dynamics: China’s scrappage scheme effects, BEV vs PHEV trends, and the surge in ROW sales driven by Chinese exports (BYD, new EU/LatAm plants) China’s new export controls on advanced LFP and graphite, the West’s exposure to Chinese anode supply, and the case for building an independent NMC-led supply chain in Europe/US The funding gap for battery raw materials projects and whether price floors/industrial policy can unlock capital NMC vs LFP in Western markets and the rise of mixed-chemistry packs Sodium-ion reality check—costs, performance, and supply-chain hurdles (hard carbon) vs LFP ExxonMobil’s push into synthetic graphite via Superior Graphite and the potential to scale non-Chinese anode supply ESS going “gangbusters”: China’s ~180+ GWh target, Middle East mega-projects, and implications for global cell availability and integrator business models

Recharge by Battery Materials Review

batterymaterialsreview

Recharge Oct25 (LME Week, lithium debate, China controls, NMC vs LFP, sodium-ion, ESS boom)

OCT 22, 202537 MIN
Recharge by Battery Materials Review

Recharge Oct25 (LME Week, lithium debate, China controls, NMC vs LFP, sodium-ion, ESS boom)

OCT 22, 202537 MIN

Description

In October 2025’s Recharge podcast, co-presenters Matt Fernley (Battery Materials Review) and Cormac O’Laoire (Electrios Energy) unpack takeaways from LME Week and what they mean for the battery value chain, including:

  • The split views on lithium—bulls vs bears—and why inventories over the next 2–3 months will be decisive
  • EV demand dynamics: China’s scrappage scheme effects, BEV vs PHEV trends, and the surge in ROW sales driven by Chinese exports (BYD, new EU/LatAm plants)
  • China’s new export controls on advanced LFP and graphite, the West’s exposure to Chinese anode supply, and the case for building an independent NMC-led supply chain in Europe/US
  • The funding gap for battery raw materials projects and whether price floors/industrial policy can unlock capital
  • NMC vs LFP in Western markets and the rise of mixed-chemistry packs
  • Sodium-ion reality check—costs, performance, and supply-chain hurdles (hard carbon) vs LFP
  • ExxonMobil’s push into synthetic graphite via Superior Graphite and the potential to scale non-Chinese anode supply
  • ESS going “gangbusters”: China’s ~180+ GWh target, Middle East mega-projects, and implications for global cell availability and integrator business models