Competitive Intelligence Service

What one battery manufacturer needs to know about another

Commissioned profiles on named battery manufacturers. Built from primary panel conversations with people who have worked inside, supplied, or competed against the target company. Delivered in 10 to 15 business days. Not assembled from press releases.

Commission a Profile Meet the Panel

Scope of Intelligence

All profiles are built exclusively from publicly available information, voluntary primary panel conversations, and verified trade sources. We do not solicit, handle, or publish any material that constitutes confidential business information, trade secrets, or insider information of any kind.

What This Is

Intelligence built for decisions, not for filing

A Faradex competitive profile is a 30 to 50 page commissioned research document on a named battery manufacturer. It answers the questions a strategy team, BD executive, or investment committee needs before a sourcing decision, partnership evaluation, or acquisition assessment — and cannot answer from earnings transcripts and press releases alone.

Every profile is built on 4 to 6 primary panel conversations with people who have direct knowledge of the target company: former employees, current suppliers, OEM procurement contacts, or process engineers who have worked alongside the target's production teams. That primary layer is cross-referenced against patent filings, earnings disclosures, verified trade press, and government program documentation.

The output is written in plain analyst prose. No executive summary filler. No market sizing padding. The profile opens with the most important finding and builds from there.

Intelligence Boundaries

Faradex profiles contain no confidential, proprietary, or insider information. Every finding derives from publicly available documents, primary panel conversations in which participants share only their professional opinions and observations — not information subject to any NDA or confidentiality obligation — or Faradex analyst synthesis. Panellists are explicitly instructed not to disclose confidential business information from current or former employers.

Not a press release synthesis

Everything publicly available is already in your team's files. What you are paying for is what is not in the press release — yield rates, real capex commitment levels, chemistry roadmap signals from inside the organisation.

Panel with verified operational exposure

Panellists are screened for direct operational exposure to the battery sector. Profiles for major manufacturers draw on people with firsthand manufacturing, procurement, or R&D knowledge of the specific target.

Written for a specific decision

Before we begin, we confirm the primary commercial question the profile needs to answer. That question frames the panel guide and document structure. You do not receive a generic company overview.

Attribution-protected sourcing

All primary sources are anonymised in the profile output. Source details are retained by Faradex analysts and are not disclosed to clients or to the subject company under any circumstance.

Coverage Framework

Nine parameter sets. Every profile covers them all.

The parameters below define the standard scope of every Faradex competitive profile. Depth within each parameter is calibrated to what the primary panel can support for the specific target company.

PARAM 01

Capacity & Expansion Credibility

Announced GWh capacity versus committed capex. Which expansion projects are fully funded and which are conditional on unsigned offtake agreements.

Greenfield vs. brownfield pipeline breakdown

Equipment order status and lead time exposure

Utilisation rate at current operating lines

Credibility assessment of public timeline commitments

PARAM 02

Chemistry Roadmap & R&D Direction

Current production chemistry mix and the direction their engineering teams are actually working toward, inferred from patent patterns, conference presentations, and primary panel signal.

LFP vs. NMC vs. sodium-ion production split

Solid-state internal program status beyond public disclosure

Patent filing concentration by electrolyte and cathode family

Cell format strategy: cylindrical, prismatic, pouch trajectory

PARAM 03

Cost Curve Positioning

Where the target sits on the USD per kWh cost curve relative to peers, and what the primary sources of their cost advantage or disadvantage are at the cell and pack level.

Cell-level cost estimate and key cost driver identification

Yield rate assessment relative to disclosed peers

Formation and dry room cost structure signals

Cost trajectory vs. public ASP commitments to OEMs

PARAM 04

Customer Concentration & Contract Structure

Which OEM relationships are genuinely locked in versus at risk of competitive displacement, and what the underlying contract mechanics look like.

Revenue concentration by named customer where confirmable

Contract length and volume commitment signals

Qualification pipeline for new OEM relationships

Dual-sourcing risk from OEM chemistry diversification

PARAM 05

Raw Material Sourcing Depth

How exposed the target is to spot lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite pricing, and how deep their vertical integration or long-term offtake coverage actually goes.

Owned mining or processing assets vs. contracted supply

Long-term offtake coverage ratio by critical mineral

Exposure to DRC cobalt and Chinese graphite supply chains

IRA FEOC compliance status for US-market supply

PARAM 06

Manufacturing Quality Signals

What the manufacturing quality record looks like beyond warranty claims that make the news — field failure rates, recall history, internal defect rate signals from former process engineers.

Thermal runaway incident history by product line

Internal defect rate signal from primary panel

Certification portfolio: UN 38.3, IEC 62619, UL 9540A

OEM field quality feedback where accessible

PARAM 07

Leadership, Talent & Organisational Signal

What executive and technical talent movements in the past 18 months signal about internal strategy direction, and where the organisational stress points are.

C-suite and VP-level departures and hires mapped to strategy

Technical talent concentration: where is the IP held?

Org restructuring signals from public filings and press

Internal culture signals from verified former employee sources

PARAM 08

JV, Partnership & M&A Activity

Who they are aligning with, what those alliances accomplish strategically, and what acquisition or divestiture activity is signalled beyond what has been publicly announced.

Active JV pipeline and strategic rationale assessment

OEM co-investment or equity relationship depth

Technology licensing activity inbound and outbound

M&A target signals from patent and talent activity

PARAM 09

Government Exposure & Geopolitical Risk

How dependent the target is on government subsidies, and where geographic concentration creates policy or supply chain vulnerability — including Hormuz 2026 exposure.

Subsidy dependency by country and program

IRA, EU Battery Regulation and FEOC compliance posture

Hormuz disruption impact on LNG-dependent production sites

Export control exposure under evolving US-China trade rules

How It Works

From commission to delivery in 10 to 15 business days

A defined five-step process from scope confirmation to profile delivery. No payment until scope is confirmed.

Step 01

Scope Confirmation

Name the target and the commercial question. We confirm panel access and scope within 1 business day.

Step 02

Panel Assembly

We identify and engage 4 to 6 panellists with direct exposure to the target — former employees, suppliers, or OEM counterparts.

Step 03

Primary Fieldwork

Structured 60-minute interviews per panellist, guided by the commercial question. All sessions conducted directly by Faradex analysts.

Step 04

Cross-Reference

Primary findings cross-checked against patent filings, earnings transcripts, government filings, and verified trade press.

Step 05

Profile Delivery

30 to 50 page PDF profile delivered. Optional 45-minute analyst briefing call available at delivery.

The Panel

Who we talk to. Not who we read.

Every panellist has direct operational exposure to the battery value chain. Profiles below represent anonymised practitioner types in the Faradex primary panel. Individual panellists are engaged per commission based on target company and question relevance.

Panel Conduct Standard

Panellists contribute professional opinions and industry observations based on their general experience. They are explicitly instructed not to disclose information subject to any current or former employer confidentiality obligation. Faradex does not source, solicit, or publish insider or confidential business information of any kind.

Manufacturing // Cell Process

Former Cell Process Engineering Lead, Tier 1 Asian Gigafactory

14 years in battery cell manufacturing across Korea and China

Direct Experience

Led electrode coating and formation cycling at a 20 GWh NMC cell line

Managed yield rate improvement programs from 91% to 96.4% over 18 months

Involved in dry electrode pilot program evaluation for sulfide solid-state transition

Expert On

Yield rates Formation cost Dry electrode NMC / LFP process

"The numbers on an investor deck about utilisation rates are almost never what you see on the floor during a ramp. Anyone evaluating a gigafactory seriously needs someone who's been inside during a ramp, not after stabilisation."

Available — Asia Pacific manufacturers

Procurement // OEM Battery Sourcing

Former Director of Battery Cell Procurement, European Premium OEM

11 years across automotive procurement and strategic sourcing

Direct Experience

Managed multi-year cell supply agreements with three Tier 1 Asian manufacturers simultaneously

Led dual-sourcing transition across EV platform — conducted on-site qualification audits at five gigafactories

Negotiated ASP indexation clauses tied to lithium carbonate spot price

Expert On

Contract structure OEM qualification Dual-sourcing ASP mechanics

"OEMs talk publicly about diversifying supply. The reality is qualification takes 18 to 24 months and most platforms are single-sourced for the first three years by default. The supplier knows that. The contract reflects it."

Available — major Tier 1 manufacturers

Materials Science // Cathode R&D

Principal Scientist, Cathode Materials, Former Tier 1 Cell Manufacturer

17 years in cathode chemistry across Korea, US, and Germany

Direct Experience

Led LMFP cathode development from lab to pilot scale

Filed 23 patents in cathode electrolyte interface stabilisation and high-nickel NMC formulations

Evaluated solid electrolyte candidates for cathode compatibility across three electrolyte families

Expert On

LMFP / NMC811 Solid-state compatibility Patent landscape R&D credibility

"When a company files patents in a chemistry they are not yet producing, that is usually a defensive move or a roadmap signal. Reading the patent cluster tells you more about where they are going than their press releases ever will."

Available — technology credibility assessments

Supply Chain // Critical Minerals

Former Head of Lithium Procurement, Battery Cell Manufacturer

12 years across mining offtake, chemical refining, and battery supply chain

Direct Experience

Negotiated lithium hydroxide offtake agreements covering 18,000 tonnes per annum across Chile, Australia, and China

Built lithium carbonate futures hedging program for a manufacturer with 15 GWh annual cell output

Mapped cobalt supply chain traceability for EU Battery Regulation OECD due diligence compliance

Expert On

Lithium offtake Spot vs. contract exposure FEOC compliance Hedging programs

"Whether a company is truly covered on lithium through 2028 depends on whether their long-term offtake agreements have volume flex clauses. When lithium prices dropped 80% in 2023 and 2024, those clauses were the difference between a manageable cost position and a serious problem."

Available — supply chain depth assessments

Gigafactory // Project Development

Former VP Engineering, European Gigafactory Build Program

19 years in industrial construction and battery manufacturing

Direct Experience

Led engineering delivery of a 30 GWh gigafactory from groundbreaking to first cell production over 38 months

Oversaw dry room construction at minus 70 degree dew point specification across 4,200 square metres

Assessed three gigafactory programs for a strategic investor on construction milestone credibility

Expert On

Capex realism Timeline credibility Equipment lead times Ramp risk

"Every gigafactory announcement I have ever read has underestimated the time from groundbreaking to first quality cell by at least six months. Equipment delivery timeline is almost always the controlling path — and it is the one variable almost never disclosed in public project updates."

Available — Europe, North America gigafactory assessments

Strategy // Battery Market Intelligence

Former Head of Battery Strategy, Global Automotive OEM

15 years across strategy consulting and OEM in-house strategy

Direct Experience

Authored internal competitive assessments on major cell manufacturers for board-level strategy reviews at a G7 automotive OEM

Led battery technology roadmap integrating chemistry, manufacturing, and supply chain scenarios through 2035

Conducted due diligence on two battery manufacturer minority investment assessments for OEM corporate development

Expert On

Competitive positioning M&A signals Strategy reads Investment assessment

"The strategic question that matters most about any battery manufacturer is not where they are today on cost per kWh. It is whether their organisational capability can absorb the next chemistry transition while maintaining the customer relationships they built on the current one."

Available — strategic assessments, all manufacturers

Deliverable Formats

Four formats. One standard of primary research.

Every format is built to the same primary-grounded standard. The difference is scope, depth, and monitoring cadence. Enquire via the contact page for scope confirmation before commitment.

Single Commission

Single Manufacturer Competitive Profile

A one-time commissioned profile on a named battery manufacturer. Covers all nine parameter sets. Built on 4 to 6 primary panel conversations. Delivered as a 30 to 50 page PDF.

✓All nine parameters covered in full

✓4 to 6 primary panel interviews

✓Patent landscape analysis included

✓Cross-referenced against verified filings and trade press

✓Optional 45-minute analyst briefing call at delivery

✓PDF delivery + raw interview summary appendix

Survey Instrument

Validated Question Set

A structured, analyst-framed survey instrument for teams running their own primary interview programs. Pre-validated against the nine parameter framework. Mapped to the specific target manufacturer and your commercial question.

✓40 to 60 questions structured across all nine parameters

✓Framed to the specific target company and question

✓Includes panellist screening criteria per question set

✓Probe questions for follow-up on key signals

✓PDF + editable Word format

✓30-minute scope call with Faradex analyst included

Quarterly Monitoring

Battery Manufacturer Monitoring Retainer

Ongoing monitoring of a defined watchlist of up to five battery manufacturers. Updated quarterly with a full primary panel refresh. Includes strategic development alerts and executive movement tracking between quarterly cycles.

✓Up to 5 manufacturers on watchlist

✓Full primary panel refresh each quarter

✓Strategic development alerts within 48 hours

✓Executive movement signals between quarterly reports

✓Patent filing monitoring: monthly digest

✓Quarterly analyst briefing call per manufacturer

Head-to-Head

Manufacturer Comparison Brief

A side-by-side analytical comparison of two named battery manufacturers across a defined subset of parameters. For sourcing decisions, investment committee presentations, or partnership evaluation requiring a head-to-head framing.

✓Two manufacturers compared across chosen parameter subset

✓3 to 4 primary panel conversations per manufacturer

✓Side-by-side parameter table with analyst assessment

✓Verdict section: who leads on each parameter and why

✓20 to 30 page PDF

✓Analyst briefing call at delivery

Entry Product

The question set. For teams who run their own panels.

If your team already has primary interview access and conducts your own expert conversations, the Faradex Validated Question Set gives you the analytical framing that separates a productive battery manufacturer interview from one that produces answers you cannot use.

Most primary interviews on battery manufacturers produce the same surface answers because the questions are surface questions. The Validated Question Set is built on the same nine-parameter framework as our full profiles. Each question is designed to reach a specific signal — and includes probe follow-ups for when the first answer deflects.

Available for any named battery manufacturer in our coverage universe. Delivered in 3 business days.

Request a Question Set

Sample Questions — Capacity & Expansion Parameter

Primary Questions

When you were involved with this manufacturer, what was the actual utilisation rate on the main production lines, and how did that compare to what was being reported publicly?

Which of their announced gigafactory expansion projects do you consider genuinely funded versus contingent on offtake agreements that have not yet been signed?

What is the realistic timeline from groundbreaking to first quality cell for the European facility they announced, given the equipment lead times you are aware of?

Probe Follow-Ups

If the utilisation rate is lower than public statements suggest, what is the primary reason — demand shortfall, yield issues, or equipment availability?

Have you seen any indication they are considering delaying or quietly cancelling any expansion projects without a public announcement?

Common Questions

What clients ask before commissioning

Does Faradex handle confidential or insider information?

No. This is an absolute boundary. Faradex profiles contain no confidential business information, trade secrets, material non-public information, or any data obtained in breach of a confidentiality obligation. All primary panellists are briefed before engagement: they are asked to share professional opinions and publicly observable assessments only — never information covered by an NDA or any confidentiality undertaking. Clients should not commission Faradex profiles expecting insider intelligence. That is not what this service produces.

Which manufacturers does Faradex cover?

Our primary panel has direct exposure across major cell manufacturers in Asia, Europe, and North America — covering the full spectrum from Tier 1 volume producers through emerging gigafactory entrants. Coverage depth varies by manufacturer. We confirm panel access at scope stage before accepting any commission.

How do you protect source confidentiality?

All primary sources are anonymised in the profile output. Source identity details are retained by Faradex analysts internally and are not disclosed to clients under any circumstance. Panel members consent to anonymised contribution at engagement.

Can I specify which parameters I want emphasised?

Yes. At scope confirmation we align on the primary commercial question and which parameter sets are highest priority for your specific decision. The panel guide and document structure are adjusted accordingly. Every profile covers all nine parameters but depth allocation is calibrated to your question.

What if the primary panel cannot support the target company?

We confirm panel access before accepting commission payment. If we cannot secure the minimum four relevant panellists for a specific manufacturer, we will tell you at scope stage and either propose an adjacent approach or decline the commission. We do not produce profiles on insufficient primary grounding.

Can profiles be updated if material new information emerges?

For clients on the annual monitoring retainer, quarterly refreshes incorporate material new developments automatically. For single commission clients, a partial update can be commissioned covering a defined subset of parameters where new signal has emerged. We flag proactively if a development materially changes a finding we delivered.

Commission your first profile

Name the manufacturer and the decision you are trying to make. We will confirm scope and panel access within one business day.

Start a Commission Submit an Enquiry

What one battery manufacturer needs to know about another

Intelligence built for decisions, not for filing

Nine parameter sets. Every profile covers them all.

From commission to delivery in 10 to 15 business days

Who we talk to. Not who we read.

Four formats. One standard of primary research.

The question set. For teams who run their own panels.

What clients ask before commissioning

Commission your first profile

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