Echion Technologies has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Energy Tech Solution (ETS) to jointly develop battery cells based on Echion’s XNO anode material. Under the agreement, ETS will take responsibility for the design of the cells, provide manufacturing technology and act as a contract manufacturer for the demonstration cells.
For Echion, ETS is the first “battery total solutions provider” in its partner network. The company, headquartered in Seoul with an additional headquarters in Chungju, South Korea, develops production equipment for battery startups and gigafactories and also contract manufactures cells. As part of the agreement, ETS will provide capacity for XNO cells in cylindrical, prismatic and pouch formats at its Chungju facility.
“Echion has demonstrated incredible performance capabilities in our custom-designed cells,” says YH Kim, CEO of ETS. “As battery technology saturates all aspects of the global energy system, this durable, high-performance chemistry will find its place serving the most demanding users.”
Echion develops XNO drop-in anode material
So what’s behind XNO? Simply put, Echion is not reinventing the entire lithium-ion battery, but is instead focusing on the anode, which is typically made of graphite in current lithium-ion cells. XNO replaces graphite with a niobium oxide-based material developed by Echion. According to Echion, the cathode, like NMC or LFP, can remain unchanged. Therefore, the company describes XNO as a “direct” anode material that can be processed on conventional electrode coating lines.
The advantages are said to lie mainly in fast charging and longevity. Echion specifies a continuous charging rate of up to 10°C for the XNO cells, theoretically allowing for a full charge in about six minutes. Under optimized conditions, the company quotes more than 50,000 charge cycles, or more than 15,000 in real-world industrial applications with deeper cycles. For comparison, LFP cells are typically charged at significantly lower C rates. Therefore, XNO is positioned less as an alternative for maximizing range and more for applications where batteries are charged and discharged frequently and quickly.
Niobium anodes mainly for demanding applications
Echion primarily targets industrial applications such as mining vehicles, railway vehicles, ships, forklifts, as well as stationary storage and uninterruptible power supplies for data centers. Another point of comparison is lithium titanate (LTO): this technology is also known for its very fast charging and high number of cycles, but has a relatively low energy density. Echion claims that XNO offers approximately twice the energy density of LTO, allowing for smaller, lighter batteries with equally high cycle stability.
Technology is no longer limited to the laboratory. According to Echion, XNO has been produced on an industrial scale since 2025. Together with niobium producer CBMM, the company operates a facility in Araxá, Brazil, with an annual capacity of 2,000 tons of With ETS, a partner is now added to cover the next part of the value chain: the development and manufacturing of specific cells.
Charge at 10C and 50,000 cycles
As part of the collaboration, Echion and ETS initially aim to demonstrate XNO cells with high cycle stability and high charging rates. ETS cites targets of up to 50,000 cycles and charge rates of up to 10C. It remains to be seen in the future whether these figures can be achieved in mass-produced cells and under real operating conditions.
“Energy Tech Solution offers a wide range of battery solutions services and manufacturing expertise, and has proven adept at bringing together process engineering and scientific research and development,” said Echion CEO Jean de La Verpilliere. “We are confident that the XNO® batteries manufactured by ETS experts, on their reliable equipment, will provide those customers looking to produce their own
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