Everyone’s obsessed with the next big battery breakthrough. Solid-state. Sodium-ion. Lithium-sulfur. The stuff that gets hyped at tech shows and investor decks, then quietly disappears into the “maybe someday” folder. Meanwhile, a much more realistic shift is happening right now, and it’s flying under the radar because it’s not flashy.
Instead of reinventing batteries from the ground up, some companies are upgrading the most basic, least sexy part of a lithium-ion cell: the anode. That’s the side of the battery that stores lithium ions when you charge and releases them when you ride, drive, or scroll. For decades, that anode has been made of graphite. It’s stable, predictable, and well understood. It’s also heavy, bulky, and increasingly the limiting factor.
Enter silicon. And yes, that silicon. This is the same element that turned computers from room-sized machines into pocket-sized supercomputers. It’s what enabled modern ECUs, ride-by-wire throttles, IMUs, traction control, ABS logic, and every piece of smart tech on modern motorcycles. Silicon didn’t just improve electronics. It made them scalable, affordable, and everywhere.
Now it’s lining up to do something similar for batteries.
This is where Porsche-backed Group14 Technologies and New York-based Sionic Energy enter the picture, a story we first spotted thanks to our friends at InsideEVs. The two companies say they’ve finally solved the biggest historical problem with silicon anodes: stability. Silicon can hold far more energy than graphite, but it expands, degrades, and wears out cells quickly if you don’t control it properly.
According to their latest data, that control problem is largely solved. Group14 and Sionic say their silicon-carbon anodes delivered stable performance in full-size battery pouch cells at high temperatures, up to 60°C, and across more than 1,200 charge cycles. This isn’t lab-scale science anymore. These are automotive-relevant cell sizes.
They’re also claiming energy densities up to 400Wh/kg. To put that into context, most EVs today sit somewhere between 200 and 300Wh/kg at the cell level. That kind of jump doesn’t just mean more range. It means smaller and lighter batteries. And that’s where this becomes especially interesting for motorcycles and powersports.
Cars can hide battery mass under the floor and spread it across a long wheelbase. Bikes don’t get that luxury. Battery size directly affects seat height, weight distribution, handling, and how “motorcycle-like” an electric bike feels. A smaller, lighter battery with the same usable range instantly changes what designers can do. It also opens doors beyond street bikes. Think electric dirt bikes that don’t feel top-heavy. Adventure bikes that can carry auxiliary electronics without ballooning in size. Scooters with real-world range that still fit a flat floor. Even side-by-sides, ATVs, PWCs, and personal mobility devices benefit from better energy density.
Then there’s the supply chain angle, which might actually be the most important part of this story. You see, graphite isn’t rare, but its processing is heavily concentrated. China currently dominates graphite refining, which makes battery supply chains vulnerable and politically sensitive. Silicon, by contrast, is one of the most abundant elements on Earth. It comes from sand and quartz, can be synthesized in controlled factories, and doesn’t depend on a single country controlling the pipeline.
Group14 also claims its anode tech is “drop-in,” meaning it can be integrated into existing lithium-ion manufacturing lines without massive retooling. If that’s true, it’s a huge deal. Real-world battery progress doesn’t come from starting over. It comes from improving what’s already industrialized.
Of course, this isn’t a magic switch. Silicon anodes still cost more than graphite. Long-term durability in harsh, vibration-heavy powersports use still needs real-world validation. Thermal management becomes even more critical when you’re charging faster and packing more energy into less space. But this isn’t theoretical anymore. Silicon anodes are already shipping in high-end smartphones. They’re already being used in niche performance vehicles. And now, they’re knocking on the door of mainstream EVs.
Sources: Group14 Technologies, InsideEVs
