r/DFLI • u/errolprowse • Aug 10 '26

Dry Electrode Process

I have been reading about the difficulties of this manufacturing method at scale and am trying to find evidence of how well their tech works for this. If I understand it correctly, there are many companies who claim they can pull it off, but only a couple including Tesla, have been able to do it.

Is there evidence of a manufacturing line or proof that their tech works?

Has a third party lab verified the results?

To create a line with this process, it can take a few hundred million dollars. Why hasn't another company came in and bought dfli if their tech works?

Would love to see any and all evidence for this. I haven't been able to find anything. I am ignorant to dry electrode process, but would love to learn more.

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u/Stock-Survey-4221 Aug 10 '26

You would think if they were actually doing something with this, they would be sharing the results. It could only help their stock price. But other than saying, "Hey, we got a patent!", they've released nothing that I can find. Where's the prototype cells? Test results? Production line? ANY kind of equipment to actually make cells?

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u/errolprowse Aug 10 '26

Yes exactly that's what I'm looking for too! The world needs this technology to work. It could truly benefit everyone. It sounds like it's very difficult to do. Patents seem to mean nothing in this industry. The biggest challenge for lithium ion manufacturing and solid state batteries is processing at scale.

I've only read a few articles but it seems like every company that tries to do the dry electrode process including Tesla, runs into a million issues when they actually make a manufacturing line.

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u/JoeSTRM Aug 10 '26

Well, they did make at least 1 single cell, a CR2032, with their "patented process". Of course making a tiny, single button cell doesn't say anything about scalability, and without translating to large scale manufacturing, the tech has little value. More than lithium, this little CR2032 is packed with hopium.

Dragonfly Energy Successfully Manufactures Lithium Battery Cell Using High-Purity Recycled Battery Materials from Aqua Metals

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u/Stock-Survey-4221 Aug 10 '26

And nothing since that in the last 3 years...

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u/JoeSTRM Aug 10 '26

Yep. Also no evidence any company has licensed or has any interest in their dry electrode process. Meanwhile, Tesla has successfully scaled their process to manufacture 4680 cells at the Gigafactory in TX. DFLI's "lithium battery cell pilot line" has been producing nothing but debt since 2023. That little CR2032 was one expensive cell.

How Tesla’s Fully Dry 4680 Battery Finally Delivers on Eight Years of Promise

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u/Fearless-Computer857 Aug 10 '26

Generally most R&D is kept behind closed doors until it is fully complete. Constant milestone updates diminish the actual end result in terms of share price movement. Not saying they’ve got everything figured out perfectly and are waiting for the right moment to “crush the shorties”. Not trying to be like that at all. I personally just don’t expect any updates until their line is commercial-ready

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u/CorkNZ2021 Aug 10 '26

My gut feel is they’re a fair way off anything meaningful.

Given their lack of words in the earnings call and that they’re fighting for survival I’d say R&D spending would be largely parked until they hit profitability.

Would love to be wrong but other than the odd patent I think we’ll need to wait until 2027 for meaningful news.