Why Europe EV Battery Champion Northvolt Came Unstuck: QuickTake

Europe’s ambition to lead the world in green industries was always going to be a stretch given China’s head-start in many low-carbon technologies. When it comes to electric vehicle batteries, the outlook is especially bleak.

Sweden’s Northvolt ABwas long seen as a real contender to the Chinese companies that make most of the world’s EV power cells, but ran out of money after a series of operational blunders. After a fruitless search for new partners and fresh funding, the company reached the end of the road in March and filed for bankruptcy.

How did Northvolt unravel?

If it was ...