Former Tesla executive Anthony Thurston has been appointed as chief operating officer of Dallas-based ACT-ion Battery Technologies.
“Tony’s proven ability to translate cutting-edge battery technologies into high-volume production makes him the ideal leader for this phase of ACT-ion’s growth,” Jin Lim, CTO and interim CEO of ACT-ion, said in a statement. “His experience with industry-leading CAM manufacturing lines at Tesla, BASF, and Apple will be invaluable as we prepare to bring our first pilot-scale CAM production line online in 2025.”
Thurston’s appointment comes shortly after ACT-ion’s $7.5 million Pre-Series A funding round led by BASF Venture Capital, with participation from Hunt Energy Enterprises, Mirae Asset Capital, Arosa Capital Management, and LG Technology Ventures.
Thurston has decades of experience working with diverse cathode active materials (CAM) including multiple technical leadership positions at Tesla, BASF, and Apple, the company said.
The appointment comes as the CAM innovator accelerates commercialization of its leading manufacturing process.
Thurston joins ACT-ion from Tesla, where he spent five years leading Tesla’s Cathode Materials and Manufacturing operations globally, including the high nickel cathode Gigafactory in Austin. Before Tesla, Thurston held prominent R&D leadership roles at Apple and BASF.
Thurston will oversee the buildout of ACT-ion’s pilot facility in Dallas, a “critical step” in validating the company’s continuous process technology with automotive and grid storage partners.
ACT-ion said the facility will demonstrate its ability to produce chemistry-agnostic single crystal CAM at scale.
“ACT-ion’s technology represents a fundamental manufacturing breakthrough,” Thurston said. “The potential to make domestic CAM production cost-competitive while improving battery cycle life aligns perfectly with the needs of next-generation EVs and renewable energy systems. I’m excited to help transform this innovation into a global industrial reality.”
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