Electrification startup eLumina says it will open $20 million Gold Coast factory next month

A $20 million Gold Coast factory producing both community lithium batteries and EV chargers will be operational next month, according to the company behind it.

In a statement on Tuesday, eLumina said the site was nearing completion and is set to produce 300 batteries annually, and that onshore EV technology manufacture would be essential to the nation’s energy future.

“Global demand for batteries is soaring. We have record solar uptake and energy generation in Australia, but we need battery storage at scale to harness its full potential,” said CEO Lisa Marsh.

“Through battery storage we can capture this energy and ensure reliable and cheaper off-grid power to all Australians. This insulates communities from power outages and saves them money.”

Marsh added that the facility is being built using “local talent and locally sourced parts and materials”, will support 300 high-skilled jobs when operational, and boasts a “world-class research and development training centre” providing training to upskills “hundreds of Queenslanders”.

eLumina said it has partnered with EV charger installer Addelec (formerly Gemtek) as part of its ambitions.

The news coincides with EV charger and software company EVOS announcing on Monday that it has recently raised $4 million for its expansion and is seeking another $6 million from investors.

According to an interview with Marsh published in late-May on EV news website The Driven, eLumina was founded “only 12 months ago” and has developed a 193 kilowatt hour battery-integrated-charger called D1 (“the recommended retail price is $250,000”) and a fast charger known as D2, which is awaiting launch.

Four D1 chargers had been installed at the time in NSW, with another 30 ordered by NRMA and Essential Energy, with plans to “install at least 50 D1s and probably about 150 D2s” according to Marsh.

Picture: A D1 charger (credit @neerav/X)