Sila, a battery materials startup, has officially begun operations at its new facility in Moses Lake, Washington. The factory represents a significant milestone as the first large-scale silicon anode production plant in the Western world. Its initial output will be sufficient to supply battery materials for 20,000 to 50,000 electric vehicles. The company has plans for future expansion that could eventually enable the facility to meet the demand for up to 2.5 million vehicles.
The core technology, which Sila has been developing for fourteen years, involves silicon anodes that can improve the energy density of lithium-ion batteries by as much as fifty percent. According to Sila co-founder and CEO Gene Berdichevsky, this innovation offers the United States a strong opportunity to gain an advantage in the global competition for battery leadership. He believes that producing a new invention in the country where it was developed is a logical and beneficial path.
Sila has already established supply agreements with major companies including Panasonic and Mercedes-Benz. While automakers and their suppliers are the primary target customers, the company also provides its anode materials to manufacturers of drones, satellites, and consumer electronics.
The company is not alone in pursuing silicon anode technology. Competitors like Group14, which also has a presence in Moses Lake, currently produce their material at a factory in South Korea. Another company, Amprius, manufactures its product in the United States and with partners in China. However, Sila’s new factory, which took nearly two years to construct, is distinguished as the first plant in the U.S. built to automotive production scales. A funding round of 375 million dollars raised last year helped finance this project.
Washington State provided an ideal location for the facility due to a combination of favorable factors. These include access to low-cost hydropower, abundant land, and a nearby supplier of a key raw material. The initial production runs at the Moses Lake factory will be used to demonstrate to customers that the material is consistent with the samples produced at Sila’s research and development line in Alameda.
Looking ahead, Berdichevsky expects that within a few years, batteries using Sila’s material will be cheaper than those using graphite anodes from Western suppliers. He also notes that silicon anodes can allow automakers to use less of other expensive materials, like nickel, while maintaining performance, and also offer benefits like faster charging.
If market demand is strong, Sila plans to expand beyond the Moses Lake site. Berdichevsky anticipates a future where nearly all vehicles sold by Western automakers will be electric within ten to fifteen years, creating a need for multiple production sites to meet U.S. demand. While the company will eventually look to expand into Europe and Asia, Berdichevsky remains strongly committed to manufacturing in the United States, believing it is crucial for national pride and for building a domestic industrial ecosystem to ensure the country does not fall behind technologically.