[Lithium Battery: Yongtai Technology And CATL Sign Electrolyte Cooperation Agreement]

Data shows that in 2024, the average curb weight of China's passenger cars reached 1,704 kg, nearly 400 kg heavier than in 2012. Additionally, around the year 2000, common household NEVs on the market mostly had a width of around 1.7 meters. In 2015, the width increased to 1.8 meters. This week, household vehicles that often weigh close to 2 tons are sparking discussions due to their growing size and weight. Automaker engineers state that for every 10 mm increase in the width of an NEV's auto body, approximately 0.8 kWh more electricity can be packed in. However, experts say that vehicles becoming "fatter" is not solely due to this reason. Experts explain: Some automakers use driving range as a selling point, claiming that their cars can travel 800 or 1,000 kilometers on a single charge. In fact, behind this is the need to install a large battery pack inside the vehicle, which may weigh 700 to 800 kg. On January 1 this year, a mandatory national standard for EVs was officially implemented. For any new car model failing to meet energy consumption standards, the MIIT will not grant registration; the vehicle cannot be produced, sold, or licensed, guiding automakers to curb the growing trend of "obesity" in EVs. In the future, NEVs may hopefully return to standard dimensions.

Yongtai Technology announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Yongtai New Energy has signed an Electrolyte Cooperation Agreement with CATL, stipulating that from 2026 to 2028, CATL is expected to procure a total of 470,000 mt of electrolyte from Yongtai New Energy (including fluctuation range), subject to specific orders. The agreement is valid until December 31, 2028, and is expected to positively impact the company's operating results from 2026 to 2028.

On June 10, IGO Limited announced that a fire occurred on June 9 at Chemical Grade Plant 3 (CGP3) at the Greenbushes lithium operation. The fire has been extinguished and no injuries were reported. Talison Lithium has commenced a full investigation into the cause of the incident and the extent of the damage. The company will also assess the potential impact and required repairs. According to IGO, operations at Chemical Grade Plant 1 (CGP1) and Chemical Grade Plant 2 (CGP2) remain unaffected. Greenbushes production is still on track to meet IGO’s FY2026 spodumene concentrate guidance of 1.375–1.425 million tonnes. Greenbushes is one of the world’s most important low-cost sources of spodumene concentrate, while CGP3 is an important part of the mine’s incremental chemical-grade concentrate capacity. As CGP1 and CGP2 remain unaffected and IGO has not revised its FY2026 production guidance, the short-term impact on actual global spodumene supply is expected to be limited. However, the extent of the damage, the repair timeline and the recovery schedule for CGP3 should be monitored closely. If the incident materially delays the ramp-up of CGP3, it could affect the pace of Greenbushes’ future supply growth and marginal