US Strategic Metals Signs MOU with Virtus Minerals to Secure Direct U.S. Access to African Cobalt and Copper

On April 16, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) released its investor relations activity record. It mentioned that in the first quarter of 2026, CATL's combined sales of power and energy storage batteries exceeded 200GWh, of which power batteries accounted for approximately 75% and energy storage batteries accounted for 25%, marking a significant increase compared to previous quarters. Against the backdrop of declining sales in the domestic passenger car industry, the company's power battery shipments continued to maintain relatively fast growth, driven primarily by two key factors: first, the continuous expansion of market share; second, the steady increase in battery capacity per vehicle.

Recently, Samsung SDI has been engaged in final-stage negotiations with Mercedes-Benz regarding a cooperation for the supply of prismatic batteries for electric vehicles. The core content of the cooperation is that Samsung SDI will supply prismatic batteries for new electric vehicle models to be launched by Mercedes-Benz in 2028. To ensure supply stability and cost control, both parties are exploring the establishment of a production base or dedicated production line exclusively for Mercedes-Benz in Europe. Potential candidate locations for the new factory include Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Industry insiders have revealed that the overall scale of this supply project is relatively large, with the battery supply expected to reach tens of GWh.

The domestic EV market showed modest signs of recovery. Upcoming auto shows next week may feature new model launches, which could provide some momentum for future demand.