#156 – Gene Berdichevsky | Sila – Deploying Silicon Anodes at Scale for Next Generation Automotive Batteries

Gene Berdichevsky is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sila.

Key topics in this conversation include:

  • The importance of a battery technology that can be integrated into existing gigafactories
  • The promise of silicon anodes, and how Sila has overcome the typical challenges faced by this technology
  • Sila’s entry into automotive scale with Mercedes-Benz
  • How Sila is thinking about scaling manufacturing
  • How Gene and Sila have navigated a few “false finishes” over their 12-year history

Listen here:

Apple Podcasts: link
Google Podcasts: link
Spotify: link

Links:

Gene’s Bio:

Gene Berdichevsky is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sila. Prior to co-founding Sila, Gene was the seventh employee at Tesla Motors where he served as Principal Engineer on the Roadster battery, leading the development of the world’s first, safe, mass-produced, automotive lithium-ion battery system. Gene holds two degrees from Stanford University; an MS in Engineering with a focus on energy and materials, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He has co-authored over 45 patents and academic publications. Gene has been named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, the MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35, and was a recipient of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.

About Sila:

Founded in 2011, Sila is a next-generation battery materials company with the mission to power the world’s transition to clean energy. Sila shipped the world’s first commercially available silicon anode for lithium-ion batteries in 2021. Sila’s materials drive battery performance enhancements in consumer electronics devices and will power electric vehicles starting with the Mercedes-Benz G-Class series. Committed to American leadership in clean energy production, Sila is scaling its technology at its manufacturing facility in Moses Lake, Washington.

Future of Mobility:

The Future of Mobility podcast is focused on the development and implementation of safe, sustainable, effective, and accessible mobility solutions, with a spotlight on the people and technology advancing these fields.

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