13 Feb XBM Founder Touts Weight & Cost Benefits of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

CEO Phil Roberts discusses how XBM CarbonX Lithium-Sulfur batteries are sustainable, cost-effective solutions for electric vehicles and eAviation.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery technology has gathered increasing attention as a potential alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries, particularly for applications requiring high energy density and lightweight materials. With the ability to deliver greater capacity at a lower cost by utilizing abundant and sustainable materials like sulfur, Li-S batteries are being explored for their potential in electric vehicles (EVs) and electric aviation (eAviation). However, questions remain about scalability, industry adoption, and long-term viability.

In an interview with Battery Technology, Phil Roberts, co-founder and CEO of XBM, discusses how the company’s CarbonX Lithium-Sulfur technology aims to address these challenges and reshape the future of energy storage.

The potential of Li-S for EVs and eAviation

Roberts emphasized that Li-S technology offers significant advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries, particularly for EVs and eAviation. “Our CarbonX Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) CAM technology provides three times the capacity of standard lithium-ion batteries at a fraction of the cost, all while using materials that are more abundant and environmentally friendly,” he explained.

Weight is a critical factor for eAviation, and Roberts highlighted how Li-S batteries could reduce overall aircraft weight, increasing efficiency and range. “Li-S batteries are inherently lighter than NMC and LFP technologies, making them an ideal solution for eAviation, where weight directly impacts flight range and efficiency,” he said.

Challenges and industry resistance

Despite these benefits, Li-S faces resistance from some sectors within the battery industry. “Most EV battery manufacturers have long-term supply agreements for nickel and cobalt, making it challenging to pivot to Li-S technology,” Roberts noted. He claimed that CarbonX technology has seen significant interest from industries accustomed to the foreign EV lithium-ion (Li-ion) supply chains. “Many manufacturers appreciate its sustainability, superior performance, lower cost, and seamless integration into existing battery production facilities, while others – particularly those foreign battery OEMs that are deeply invested in NMC and LFP LIB chemistries, face challenges in transitioning,” he said.

Scaling production and industry collaborations

One of the key challenges in bringing new battery technologies to market is scaling up production. Roberts confirmed that XBM is actively working on this: “The company is working on a highly automated AI-based commercial scale production process to maximize quality and low-cost manufacturing efficiency. Existing EV battery manufacturing infrastructure can be adapted with minimal modifications, reducing the capital equipment investment for large-scale commercial production deployment.”

XBM is forging partnerships with companies like International Battery Company (IBC) to build a customer base for its CarbonX Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) CAM technology. According to Roberts, the company is also expanding production from pilot-scale to full commercial deployment to meet growing market demand. In addition, XBM is seeking government and private sector investment to accelerate the scale-up of CarbonX, with applications for grants from ARPAe, IRA, BIL, DOE, and CEC. Roberts highlighted that XBM has already raised significant seed funding and is now pursuing Series A funding from strategic investors. By using sustainable, low-abundant industrial byproducts to reduce material costs, XBM aims to scale efficiently and establish CarbonX as a disruptive force in next-generation battery technology.

Sustainability & supply chain security

Sustainability is a significant advantage of Li-S technology. Roberts highlighted how CarbonX aligns with global efforts to reduce reliance on rare and ethically problematic materials. He also pointed out the geopolitical benefits: “Unlike Li-ion EV battery cathode materials, CarbonX eliminates the need for nickel and cobalt, by replacing them with biomass waste products from paper processing such as tannin/lignin carbon and abundant sulfur. These biomass waste products are then converted into a Cryogel host material and doped with sulfur (an abundant domestically sourced waste product from the Petroleum industry). This domestic raw material supply chain shift not only lowers production costs but also enhances supply chain resilience by reducing reliance on unsustainable more costly critical raw materials with unstable geopolitical constraints.”

Policy support driving XBM expansion

Federal and state policies, particularly the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), bolster the manufacturing of CarbonX CAM technology in the USA. These policies foster innovation, scale production, and enhance U.S. competitiveness in the global EV and eAviation battery market. Key policy benefits include funding from the DOE, IRA, CEC, and BIL to close the gap in critical battery materials manufacturing, Production Tax Credits (PTCs) that incentivize localized supply chains, and initiatives to improve critical materials security.

CarbonX’s nickel—and cobalt-free composition aligns with efforts to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. XBM is pursuing DOE, ARPA-E, and CEC funding for scale-up, though its roadmap isn’t solely dependent on grants. Additionally, federal and state subsidies for EV and aerospace electrification drive demand for next-generation battery technologies like CarbonX.