# What went wrong at Northvolt?

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2024-12-12
- Length: 37m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt

## Summary

Sam Jaffe, principal at 1019 Technologies, explains that Northvolt’s bankruptcy resulted from investors pushing the company to build six gigafactories simultaneously across multiple continents rather than perfecting one. The company’s choice of Chinese equipment supplier Wuxi LEAD led to severe integration and quality issues, while their commitment to NMC chemistry left them exposed when the market shifted toward LFP. Jaffe argues that the failure was a strategic error in focus and execution, not proof that Western battery manufacturing is impossible.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt#t=1) Introduction: Catalyst and Northvolt's Bankruptcy
- [4:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt#t=295) Northvolt's Founding and the Rise of Chinese Dominance
- [12:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt#t=741) The Strategy of Building Six Gigafactories Simultaneously
- [19:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt#t=1144) Production Failures and the BMW Contract Cancellation
- [23:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt#t=1398) Challenges with Equipment Supplier Wuxi LEAD
- [29:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt#t=1788) The Institutional Knowledge Gap in Battery Manufacturing
- [32:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt#t=1942) Lessons on Venture Capital and Focus

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Northvolt (company)
- 1019 Technologies (company)
- Wuxi LEAD (company)
- BMW (company)
- CATL (company)
- BYD (company)
- Tesla (company)
- Kuberg (company)
- EnergyHub (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Good Energy Citizen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2024-05-08-good-energy-citizen) (The Amp Hour)
- [Magical Fire Bags](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-12-09-magical-fire-bags) (The Amp Hour)
- [Voltnuts for Flashlights](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-06-17-voltnuts-for-flashlights) (The Amp Hour)
- [MADE IN EUROPE #2: Scandinavian EMS Exceptionalism with Kitron's Peter Nilsson and NOTE's Johannes Lind-Widestam](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-04-16-made-in-europe-2-scandinavian-ems-exceptionalism-with-kitrons-peter-nilsson-and) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Advancing Battery Innovation for a Power Grid Under Pressure w/ Arwed Niestroj](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-05-19-advancing-battery-innovation-for-a-power-grid-under-pressure-w-arwed-niestroj) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-12-12-what-went-wrong-at-northvolt. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.