The lithium-ion batteries are at the heart of the transition from fossil-fuelled vehicles towards cleaner alternate powertrain options, but fundamental supply chain changes are needed to eliminate widespread forced labour and child labour abuses.

A recent research by AI supply chain risk platform Infyos has identified that companies accounting for 75 percent of the global battery market have connections to one or more companies in the supply chain facing allegations of severe human rights abuses. Most major battery manufacturers and end batteries applications are exposed including many of the world’s largest automotive, energy storage and electronics brands.

This new industry data is compiled from evidence on Infyos’ AI supply chain risk platform using thousands of government datasets, NGO reports, news articles and social media sources. 

Infyos’ AI technology is developed specifically for the battery industry to automate the gathering, cleansing and classification of unstructured data to identify and assign confidence ratings to allegations of human rights abuses with accuracy and speed that previously was not possible.

The AI-driven platform claims it is working with some of the world’s largest renewable energy and automotive companies to combine open-source data with additional proprietary data sources to identify which companies a customer may be connected to across the supply chain and where there is exposure to or allegations of human rights abuses.

Tony To, Co-founder & CTO, Infyos said: “Our platform is designed to provide users with insights into the complexities of the battery supply chain so they can take proactive measures to identify and mitigate risks. By leveraging AI in our technology we’ve created a system that delivers accurate data despite the complexity of the battery industry and most importantly provides users with simple actionable mitigations to collaborate with their suppliers to address risks and improve the sustainability of the industry.”
The report finds that widespread human rights abuses identified range from people being forced to work in lithium refining facilities under the threat of no or minimal pay to five-year-old children mining cobalt materials out of the ground in hazardous conditions. Severe human rights incidents are occurring globally, especially in resource-rich countries with fragile and corrupt governments like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar.

However, most of the allegations of severe human rights abuses involve companies who are mining and refining raw materials in China that end up in batteries around the world, particularly in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China where the battery, automotive and solar industry has already been hit with public allegations of widespread forced labour from journalists, government agencies and non-profit organisations.

Complex supply chain

Electric vehicle and battery manufacturers have a complex supply chain, sometimes with over 10,000 suppliers across their network, from mines to chemical refineries and automotive manufacturers. Human rights abuses frequently occur upstream in the supply chain, notably at the raw material mining and refining stages, making it difficult for companies purchasing batteries to identify their supply chain risks.

The battery industry’s connections to these incidents stem from manufacturers sourcing components or materials from unethical companies in their supply chain network or entering business relationships, including joint ventures or equity investments hidden in complex and changing ownership structures, which conceals the reality of the unethical connections.

Sarah Montgomery, CEO & Co-Founder, Infyos added, “The relative opaqueness of battery supply chains and the complexity of supply chain legal requirements means current approaches like ESG audits are out of date and don’t comply with new regulations. Most battery manufacturers and their customers, including automotive companies and grid-scale battery energy storage developers, still don’t have complete supply chain oversight.”
It is important to understand that sourcing is coming under growing scrutiny, particularly in Europe and the US, where failure to address the issues means companies could be in breach of current and future regulations. 

This is damaging the battery industry’s clean credentials and hampering investment into the global battery market forecast to be worth nearly $500 billion (INR 41,655 billion) in 2030. With more legislation such as the EU Battery Regulation and the US’s Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA) being phased in, action must be taken now so companies can still sell their products.

Jeff Williamson, Head of Sustainability, Infyos said: “Companies manufacturing or purchasing batteries are at risk of having their products blocked at the market, further delaying and increasing the costs of renewable energy projects or tarnishing their reputation because of human rights risks.”

The UFLPA prohibits the import of goods made with forced labour in the Xinjiang region of China. The penalties for non-compliance can be extreme: earlier this year inspectors blocked vehicles they found to violate the regulations. The US Senate Finance Committee Chair has accused automotive manufacturers of ‘sticking their heads in the sand’ over forced labour in their supply chains and a subsequent report recommended that the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection take further measures to strength enforcement of the forced labour ban in automotive supply chains, including placing CATL – the world’s largest battery cell manufacturer – on a list of companies banned due to their connection to forced labour. Europe is following suit with its forced labour ban while a proposal has been submitted to increase the fines for non-compliance with the UK’s Modern Slavery Act to 4 percent of global annual turnover.

Sarah Montgomery, CEO & Co-Founder, Infyos said: “We have already seen how forced labour incidents in supply chains for the solar industry have blocked the largest solar suppliers from the US market and slowed down the transition to clean energy: as the battery industry faces the paradigm shift to electrification, the lessons learnt in solar must be applied to the battery industry if the energy transition is to stay on track.”

Battery-specific regulations within Europe are becoming more stringent too. New EU Battery Regulations coming into effect between 2024 and 2036 require much more rigorous supply chain visibility and risk management starting in 2025 with non-compliance leading to products being blocked from the European market. These pressing supply chain requirements, which many in the industry are struggling to comply with, are foundational to the much-talked-about battery passports in 2027. The UFLPA and EU Battery Regulation are widely seen as the battery industry gold standard due to their strict requirements on due diligence and supply chain visibility, and many companies operating outside of the regions are voluntarily aiming to meet their requirements.

By addressing issues within their supply chain, companies not only continue to have a licence to operate and avoid costly fines but can also actively grow their business: Research from PwC found that 89 percent of institutional investors are considering or have already rejected investments in firms with ESG shortcomings. Additional human rights pressure is coming from investors, who are now mandating deeper supply chain risk management and visibility as a condition of lending or investment to minimise their own financial risk. While financial and regulatory pressures are increasing awareness of human rights abuses in battery supply chains, more industry action to address human rights abuses is needed to drive battery applications forward and ensure 2050 net-zero emissions targets don’t face total failure.

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Chennai-headquartered electric vehicle start-up Raptee.HV has become the first automaker in the state to receive INR 250 million from Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) under the Startup Investment Policy 2025.

The EV maker is amongst the two start-ups selected by the Tamil Nadu state as part of its plans to support high-potential companies focussing on deep tech and the advanced manufacturing ecosystem.

Dr TRB Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce, government of Tamil Nadu, stated, “We will specifically focus on making strategic investments in deep-tech startups which need long-term capital to succeed.  Since 2024, we have been working to reimagine TIDCO’s role with an ambition to transform Tamil Nadu into a product nation. As part of that vision, we have repositioned TIDCO as a venture catalyst, building a structured venture investment framework that can support startups at critical stages of growth. This policy now enables TIDCO to invest up to INR 250 million in startups across sunrise sectors such as electric vehicles, aerospace and defence, renewable energy, semiconductors, medical electronics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, quantum computing, agro processing, technical textiles and speciality chemicals.”

The State Policy aims to ensure that Tamil Nadu’s most promising technology companies find patient capital, strategic support and scale opportunities.

It was just last month, Raptee.HV begin deliveries of the T30 electric motorcycle, which utilises high-voltage technology (HV-Tec), a platform typically found in electric cars, for its two-wheeler products.

The T30 is priced at INR 239,000 (ex-showroom) and comes with an 8-year battery warranty and a 3-year vehicle warranty.

With initial deliveries in Chennai, the company has announced plans to expand into Bengaluru in April 2026 with a showroom and service centre. By end-2026, it intends to establish operations in all South Indian state capitals and begin entry into Western India.

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U Power has completed operational testing and integration of the battery-swapping system for heavy-duty truck prototypes intended for the Thailand market.

The milestone follows the partnership established in December 2025 with Whale Logistics (Thailand) to deploy 1,000 units in the country with the production and delivery of the first batch of tractors scheduled for May 2026.

The project was developed by U Power in conjunction with SAIC Hongyan Automotive and UNEX EV. The prototypes underwent three months of road testing to evaluate technical systems. Following integration, the vehicles met design specifications for highway logistics transportation. The project uses the UOTTA battery-swapping solution, which allows for battery replacement within minutes.

The initiative is designed to support the adoption of battery-swapping in the road logistics sector. By using this model, vehicle operators can avoid investment in grid expansion and charging infrastructure. The system is intended to maintain operational efficiency levels comparable to fuel-powered trucks while addressing battery degradation. Thailand serves as a location in U Power’s growth plan for Southeast Asia.

U Power provides AI-integrated solutions that connect electric vehicles with energy infrastructure. The company’s technology focuses on the optimisation of mobility and grid performance through modular battery-swapping stations. The deployment of these 1,000 vehicles is intended to meet logistics demand and increase transport efficiency in the region.

Johnny Lee, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, U Power, said, "Completing full-condition road testing of our pilot vehicles confirms the reliability and efficiency of the UOTTA battery-swapping model. Via the partnership with Whale Logistics, we are set to deploy 1,000 vehicles in Thailand to meet high-frequency logistics demand and boost operational efficiency. Thailand is a strategic market in U Power's global growth plan. By pioneering battery-swapping solutions for taxis and heavy-duty trucks, we are strengthening our leadership in Southeast Asia and driving low-carbon commercial transportation, while laying the foundation for expansion across the region."

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Swedish electric performance car brand Polestar has published the full carbon footprint of the Polestar 5, reinforcing its commitment to climate transparency within the automotive sector. Since 2020, the manufacturer has provided comprehensive Life Cycle Assessments for all its models, with the Polestar 5 being the latest addition to this publicly available data. The company emphasises that scrutinising emissions from materials and production is essential for actively reducing the overall climate impact of vehicle manufacturing.

As the first original equipment manufacturer to disclose the carbon footprint for its entire lineup, Polestar offers consumers clear insight into the environmental cost of their vehicles. The Polestar 5 records a cradle-to-gate footprint of 23.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, which encompasses emissions from raw material extraction through to the point of customer delivery.

A significant focus for emission reduction lies in material sourcing. Aluminium, a notably carbon-intensive component, has been targeted for improvement. In the Polestar 5, a portion of the aluminium is recycled, and the vast majority is sourced from smelters utilising renewable electricity. This strategic shift avoids substantial emissions compared to conventional methods.

Renewable energy extends beyond material supply to the production facilities themselves. The plants responsible for assembling the Polestar 5, along with those manufacturing its battery cells and related components, are powered by renewable electricity, thereby lowering the overall manufacturing emissions.

Further environmental gains are achieved through innovative interior materials. Natural fibre composites, developed with Bcomp, incorporate a flax-based fabric that reduces reliance on fossil-based substances and offers weight savings over traditional composites. Recycled content is prevalent throughout, including carpets made from reclaimed fishing nets and textiles from recycled PET. The design also facilitates future recycling, exemplified by the front luggage compartment’s mono-material PET construction. For those selecting leather, a chrome-free, ethically sourced option is available.

The Polestar 5 demonstrates that sustainability can coexist with high performance. The four-door grand tourer delivers substantial power and torque, achieves an estimated driving range up to 678 km (WLTP) and benefits from an 800-volt architecture enabling rapid DC charging (from 10 to 80 percent in 22 minutes).

Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability, Polestar, said, “You cannot reduce what you don’t measure. Making the carbon footprint of a car visible helps focus the industry on where emissions occur, particularly in materials and manufacturing. That transparency is essential if we want to scale the low-carbon materials, renewable energy and circular solutions needed to reduce the climate impact of cars.”

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MG has introduced its latest model, the all-new MGS9 PHEV, marking the brand's entry into the seven-seat SUV market. This plug-in hybrid vehicle aims to blend spacious family practicality with efficient operating costs. Pricing for the new model starts at GBP 34,205 (approximately USD 45,956) and reaches up to GBP 36,945 (approximately USD 49,606) for top-tier versions.

The vehicle’s interior is designed for adaptability, featuring three rows of seating. When the rearmost seats are not required, they can be folded to unlock over 1,000 litres of cargo capacity, accommodating luggage, sports equipment or everyday family needs. Even when all seven seats are in use, the MGS9 retains a practical 332 litres of boot space.

Power is supplied by a familiar plug-in hybrid system, previously seen in the award-winning MG HS. It pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a substantial 24.7 kWh battery. This setup provides an electric-only driving range of up to 62 miles (approximately 99.78 km), a figure that should comfortably cover the average daily commute or routine school and shopping trips.

In keeping with the brand's reputation for value, the MGS9 comes generously equipped. Features include leather-style upholstery, a panoramic sunroof and tri-zone climate control. Adding to passenger comfort, the front seats are also ventilated and offer a massage function. Safety has been thoroughly addressed, with the model already securing a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating. This achievement is supported by its robust high-strength steel construction and a comprehensive suite of up to 16 advanced driver assistance systems. The vehicle is currently available for ordering, with full specifications due to be released later this month as initial deliveries reach UK showrooms.

David Allison, Director of Product and Planning, MG UK, said, "The launch of the MGS9 PHEV represents a significant milestone for MG, marking our entry into the 7-seat SUV segment and further strengthening our position in the large SUV market. As a vehicle that is both longer and taller than the MG HS, the all-new MGS9 PHEV delivers enhanced presence and versatility, offering the flexibility of a third row to meet the evolving needs of modern families and lifestyle-driven customers. Combining an excellent electric range and strong efficiency with an elevated level of specification and refinement, the all-new MGS9 PHEV continues MG’s commitment to delivering accessible innovation and exceptional value within a highly competitive 7-seat SUV segment.”

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