Hello, and welcome to the latest newsletter – edition IX.

Now that Q2 is behind us, it’s a chance to take a moment and see how far we've come. Catch up on the latest product updates, collaborations, and all that's been going on in the quarter.

Key areas in this update include:

1. 🦾 Platform spotlight
2. 🔋 Supply
3. 🤝 Connecting the industry
4. 🚢 Logistics spotlight
5. 👀 Insights 
6. 🎪 Events
7. 💭 Final thoughts

Time to read: approximately 7 minutes.

1. 🦾 Platform spotlight

Over the past few months, we've been working to make the platform more user-friendly. We've made it easier to share supplies within your team, streamline the procurement process, and improve the search filters on the Battery Explorer. 

What's new?

Shareable supply page:

Gain detailed insights into battery supplies like never before. Users can now access comprehensive specifications, including images, and seamlessly share them with colleagues. Additionally, you can now place bids directly from the same page.

Battery Explorer updates:

Filtering through our supply offerings has never been more efficient. The new supply filter allows users to refine searches not only on technical specifications, but also on supply conditions and location specifics. 

Have you tried them out already? Please share your experiences and suggestions — we'd ❤️ to hear from you.

Coming soon:

Sourcing request:

New look and feel, in sync with the Battery Explorer, to swiftly navigate using your sourcing parameters and currently available supply. 

New navigation:

Introducing new navigation and company profile, making it easier to access different products and details about supply.  

2. 🔋 Supply update 

The opportunity to trade large volume supply occasionally comes with sensitivities and processes that need to be followed.

What this means is supply that Cling has access to is sometimes under what we call a 'private listing'. It ensures we're respecting the wishes of our trading counter-parties and not breaking confidentiality agreements.

If you have an interest in something you don't see immediately, please submit a sourcing request  - a simple form (picture below) - on our platform as it helps us find better matches for your requirements. 

3. 🤝 Connecting the industry

Newsflash: scanning complete packs with CT:

Have you ever wanted to really look into your battery pack? Cling is partnering up with INNER, a Dutch startup specializing in EV battery diagnostics and Fraunhofer EZRT, one of the world's leading applied research organizations. INNER's testing solution is contributing to circularity with a focus on recalled battery packs and other used, high-quality packs. 

🧐 At last, it is possible to look for physical deformation in the cells (torn anode? Folded separator?) - from the outside, without opening the pack, and without using the BMS.

🔎 Send your packs to be CT scanned by Fraunhofer EZRT & INNER and be one of the first to make use of this experimental service. Exclusive terms available in the coming weeks. 

More info 👉 sales@innertech.ai.

👇 Renault Zoe pack scan

4. 🚚 Logistics spotlight

Shipping news:

In May and June, there was a significant shortage of both vessel capacity and available empty containers. This is due to a combination of continued rerouting around Africa, bottlenecks in Asian ports, and a sudden increase in cargo volumes from Asia. As a result of this, we should anticipate rerouted journeys and delays when shipping by sea in the near future, according to DSV.

Warehousing services:

First service partnership initiated! During June Cling arranged for our customer, an energy storage player, to use a warehousing service. We have been able to help orchestrate the shipping of the batteries, as well as offer a competitive price.

We will continue exploring additional services for our clients to identify areas where our expertise and network can provide value. Are you interested? - reach out to us here. 

Completed shipments in the quarter:

• 🇳🇴 to 🇸🇪 
• 🇸🇪 to 🇺🇸
• 🇺🇸 to 🇳🇱
• 🇫🇷 to 🇫🇷
• 🇸🇪 to 🇫🇷
• 🇸🇪 to 🇩🇪 
• 🇳🇴 to 🇩🇪

5. 💬 Insights

As we approach summer, why not take a moment to unwind in your hammock and delve into our recent analysis.

Blogs

Battery Explorer: Navigating battery technical specifications is a challenge. Rasmus Lindqvist unpacks how we are simplifying the process of finding and understanding battery data for repurposing and recycling.

Raw Material Estimator and AI Vision Model: A piece by Axel Berglund . It uncovers how Cling is deploying AI and machine learning to track battery value through raw materials, and simplifying battery data identification.

Podcasts

• Dipli's Circular Talks (May): A deep dive with William Bergh on managing the environmental challenges associated with battery waste, hosted by French startup Dipli. 
• Things Have Changed (June): A discussion with William Bergh on optimizing urban mining for raw materials with 'Things Have Changed'; a podcast focusing on the digital economy. 

6. 🎪 Events

Cling presentations 

⚡️ Zirkular Bat Workshop (CIDETEC) - San Sebastian (Spain), June 

Industry leaders gathered to explore the future of EV batteries, storage systems, and recycling solutions, with a presentation by Axel Wimby on scaling second life systems. 

🔋 Battery Day - Västerås (Sweden), June 

Battery Day brought together experts to discuss advancing battery solutions for electrification and mobility, with a presentation by Filippa Hector on how Cling is working with the ecosystem. 

🌱 Almedalen Week - Gotland (Sweden), June 

At Almedalen Week, Cling joined other innovative companies as part of the TechArenan competition, with a presentation by William Bergh . Congratulations to our friends Rebaba and Flower for their respective victories, as well as the other winners. 

🍻 Beers & Batts @ Cling HQ

We wrapped up the quarter with our Beers & Batts series at Cling HQ, where industry peers gathered for networking and lively discussions over drinks (pictures below).

Upcoming events:

🇸🇪 🇰🇷  Business Sweden's South Korea Battery Expedition  (September 23-28) - a week long visit to South Korea, hosted by Business Sweden, to meet leading companies in the battery industry. Cling attendee: William Bergh . 

🔋 🇪🇺  Li-ion Battery Europe 2024 (LiBE 2024) (October 8-10, Brussels) - hosted by Shanghai Metals Market, LiBE 2024, will gather top scientists, industry members, investors, project developers, financiers, and technology suppliers. Cling attendee: Eden Yates .  

🔜 🍻 Next up: Beers & Batts Missed out on the latest Beers & Batts? No need to stress. Sign up to our event updates newsletter to find out when the next one is coming up: here.

7. 💭 Final thoughts

Are batteries a commodity? A (semi-fictional) conversation with two seasoned industry pros:

Industry pro #1 - "Of course batteries are a commodity or near commodity, of course they are!"

Industry pro #2 - "We can't just lump them all together! They aren't heterogeneous or fully fungible, the secondary market isn't at scale with multiple grades that are traded and standardized. There are diverse needs that required tailored solutions. This diversity keeps full commoditization at bay."

Industry pro #1 - "Mass production is making them more about price and availability, much like other commodities!

Industry pro #2 - "OK, show me the forwards curve then? How about all the complexity that comes with charging infrastructure, or a futures market to balance and hedge against the spot market?"

Industry pro #1 - "Well, those things are certainly plausible. Regardless, batteries still need to be shipped in bulk, that bulk to be broken, and for operations, traceability, and financing to support it all."

Is there a right answer?

Who knows, but they are all points we think a lot about at Cling towers and enjoy debating...Have a great summer ☀️