Carrollton Plant Makes EV Battery Cathode Material
The pilot plant could ease reliance on offshore battery materials that shape EV battery costs for owners in North Texas.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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ACT-ion Battery Technologies celebrated the grand opening of its pilot plant at 1200 Tappan Circle in Carrollton, Texas, on November 3, 2026, where it now produces cathode active materials in the United States. The facility is fully commissioned and aims to reduce reliance on offshore supply for electric vehicle battery components.
Why it matters
Cathode active material accounts for about 50 percent of battery cell production costs, depending on chemistry, so where it is made shapes what EV batteries cost. With about 85 percent of the world's cathode material for EV batteries produced offshore in 2025, domestic production is a notable shift for Carrollton and the wider Texas EV supply chain.
The pilot plant at 1200 Tappan Circle lifts ACT-ion's output 10 times, to 20 tons per annum. Cathode active material accounts for about 50 percent of battery cell production costs, depending on chemistry.
The players
ACT-ion Battery Technologies
A Dallas-based battery materials company whose ACT-ivate process targets lower-cost domestic cathode production for EV batteries.
U.S. Department of Energy
The federal agency whose AMMTO and VTO offices are supporting the pilot plant's scale-up.
The details
ACT-ion uses its proprietary ACT-ivate process, a continuous platform, to make cathode material. The process is designed to run on lower-cost domestic inputs, including industrial-grade chemicals and recycled black mass. The process has been demonstrated across lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) materials and earned the R&D 100 Award in 2024. The U.S. Department of Energy's AMMTO and VTO continue to support the pilot plant's scale-up.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: Grand opening of the Carrollton pilot plant celebrated.
2024: ACT-ivate process earned the R&D 100 Award.
2025: About 85 percent of EV cathode material was produced offshore.
The Home Front
Domestic cathode production bears on the cost of EV batteries, which in turn affects vehicle prices across the Carrollton and Dallas-Fort Worth market. The plant's output will show whether local manufacturing can narrow the offshore dependence that the 2025 figures describe.
If you own an EV or plan to buy one, battery cost is a factor in vehicle pricing, so it is worth tracking how domestic cathode production develops. Warranty and battery documentation should be kept in a safe place, and any battery service should go to a qualified technician.
The takeaway
Domestic cathode production is one of the few steps that could change EV battery costs over time. Keep your vehicle's battery documentation and warranty terms on file, and have any battery work handled by a qualified technician.
Further reading
For broader context on how battery supply chains are changing, see our Electric Vehicles coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
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