1. Ford Officially Launches Energy Storage Subsidiary and Secures 20 GWh Supply Order
Ford Motor Company has officially launched its new energy storage subsidiary, Ford Energy, and unveiled its first battery energy storage system product. The 20-foot containerized DC energy storage system adopts 512Ah LFP cells with 2-hour and 4-hour configuration options, with an annual production capacity of up to 20 GWh.
Ford plans to invest approximately USD 2 billion to build LFP cell and energy storage system production lines at its Glendale plant in Kentucky, with deliveries scheduled to start by the end of 2027. The company also plans to add residential energy storage production lines at its Michigan facility.
On May 18, Ford Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford, signed a five-year framework agreement with EDF North America, a subsidiary of Electricité de France (EDF). Under the deal, EDF North America will be entitled to purchase up to 4 GWh of Ford Energy’s DC Block battery energy storage systems annually, with a total procurement volume of 20 GWh over five years. Official deliveries will commence in 2028.
2. Tesla Invests Additional USD 250 Million in Berlin Gigafactory, Boosting Battery Capacity to 18 GWh
Tesla announced an additional investment of approximately USD 250 million to expand battery production lines at Gigafactory Berlin Grünheide, raising the plant’s annual battery capacity from 8 GWh to 18 GWh and creating over 1,500 new jobs. The total investment of the project has reached nearly EUR 1 billion.
Tesla has launched relevant recruitment and is expected to start battery production in the first half of 2027.
3. U.S. Q1 2026 New Energy Storage Installations Hit Record High for the Quarter
According to an industry report released on May 21, the United States added 9.7 GWh of new energy storage capacity in Q1 2026, hitting a historical high for the same quarter.
Jointly released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the report shows that U.S. energy storage capacity still achieved a 32% year-on-year increase despite federal policies perceived to slow down clean energy development.
SEIA stated that the growing demand is driven by data center power consumption, electricity price volatility, and global supply disruptions of natural gas and gas turbines.
4. 684Ah Stacked Cells: Sungrow Secures 7.5 GWh Mega Energy Storage Order in the Middle East
Sungrow secured a 7.5 GWh large-scale energy storage order in the United Arab Emirates, partnering with international renewable energy company Masdar to supply 7.5 GWh PowerTitan 3.0 liquid-cooled energy storage systems and 2.6 GW inverters for its RTC1 Plant (North) project.
Scheduled for grid connection in 2027, the PowerTitan 3.0 features pre-installation and pre-commissioning design, supporting one-click self-configuration and self-inspection after on-site arrival. Supported by Sungrow’s lean manufacturing and localized delivery capabilities, the project ensures efficient and punctual delivery.
The project is the world’s first GW-level all-weather renewable energy project and the world’s largest application project adopting 684Ah stacked cells.
5. TBEA Sets 2026 Revenue Target of RMB 110 Billion, Slight Q1 Drop in Energy Storage and Inverter Shipments
On May 18, TBEA released the investor relations record of its 2025 annual and Q1 2026 performance briefing. The company revealed that affected by slower installation progress, its shipments of inverters and energy storage products declined slightly in Q1 2026 compared with the same period last year.
6. ZOY Energy Storage Jointly Builds Saudi Arabia’s First World-Class BESS Manufacturing Base with Local Partner
On May 20, ZOY Energy Storage partnered with a local Saudi strategic enterprise to construct Saudi Arabia’s first world-class battery energy storage manufacturing base. Adopting the model of Chinese core energy storage technology plus localized Saudi intelligent manufacturing, the project supports the implementation of Saudi Vision 2030.
The first phase is planned to be completed and put into operation in Q1 2027 with a production capacity of 6 GWh. The second phase will rapidly expand capacity to 18 GWh, filling Saudi Arabia’s gap in large-scale energy storage equipment local manufacturing and ending long-term import dependence.
7. New Distributed Grid Connection Guideline to Take Effect, Unlocking About 50 GW Backlog Projects
Issued by the National Energy Administration, the new industrial standard *Guideline for Bearing Capacity Evaluation of Distributed Power Grid Connection* will be officially implemented on June 18, 2026, replacing the old standard DL/T 2041-2019.
The core revision cancels the rigid 80% transformer load rate limit, adopting dynamic evaluation based on “available capacity” and red-yellow-green three-tier zoning management, while shortening the approval period to 3 working days.
The policy adjustment will unlock approximately 50 GW of backlogged distributed PV projects. For projects equipped with energy storage, the grid connection capacity can be increased to 85%-90%, greatly benefiting the development of PV and industrial & commercial energy storage.
The new guideline adds a special chapter on bearing capacity improvement measures, promoting the grid transformation from approval restriction to active management.
8. BYD Overtakes Tesla to Rank No.1 in Global Energy Storage System Shipments; Chinese Enterprises Dominate Global Top 10 Cell Rankings
According to annual data released by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, global stationary battery energy storage system (BESS) cell shipments exceeded 600 GWh, nearly doubling from 2024, while global energy storage system shipments reached 460 GWh with substantial year-on-year growth.
Amid rapid industry expansion, the global energy storage competition landscape has undergone historic changes. In system integration, BYD ended Tesla’s two consecutive-year leading streak and ranked first in the global BESS integration market. In the upstream cell segment, Chinese enterprises occupied all top 10 global rankings, with no South Korean enterprises shortlisted.