Europe's battery industry is under pressure from several directions at once. New EU rules are coming into force, raw material supplies are tight, and competition from Asia keeps growing. Li-ion Battery Europe 2026 brings the whole value chain together in Barcelona for two days to work through these issues. Decision-makers from raw materials, cell manufacturing, electric vehicles, energy storage and recycling will be in the room, alongside representatives of EU governments.

Rules shaping the industry

The conference programme focuses on the rules that will shape the industry over the next few years:

• The EU Battery Regulation: how it is being implemented, and the latest developments.
• The Battery Passport: the digital record that will follow batteries through their lifecycle.
• The Critical Raw Materials Act: Europe's plan to secure lithium, nickel, cobalt and other strategic materials.
• China–Europe cooperation: policy support for joint battery projects, and how global partnerships can help build a European domestic supply chain.

Four dedicated sessions

• EV & ESS Battery Session: batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
• Battery Materials Session: cathodes, anodes, electrolytes and other cell materials.
• Raw Materials Session: mining, refining and supply security.
• Recycling Session: recovering materials from end-of-life batteries.

Alongside the talks, an exhibition and structured networking sessions help delegates meet suppliers, buyers and partners. A free visitor registration option is also available.

Programme

For anyone following the electric transition, this event offers a close look at the industrial side behind every EV: where the raw materials come from, who builds the cells, and how Europe plans to compete.

Key details

Electrify Expo is where people stop reading about electric vehicles and start driving them. The festival has built its reputation on hands-on demo rides rather than static displays. Visitors can get behind the wheel of electric cars and trucks, then switch to e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards and electric motorcycles on dedicated courses.

For 2026, the event has grown into the wider Demo Days Festival, with Electrify Expo at its core. The move reflects how the market has changed. Alongside battery-electric models, the line-up now includes hybrids and plug-in hybrids, so visitors can compare powertrains side by side. The festival also adds technology beyond the road, including robotics and the Tesla Optimus humanoid, air mobility and eVTOL aircraft, and autonomous driving.

Dallas is the eighth and final stop of the 2026 tour, after San Diego, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Atlanta. The organisers say demos are planned from Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Ford and Toyota.

What to expect

• Test drives: electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars and trucks on dedicated courses.
• Off-road courses: terrain tracks for trucks, SUVs, ATVs and UTVs.
• Two-wheelers and micromobility: electric motorcycles, dirt bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.
• Future tech: robotics, autonomous technology and air mobility.
• Charging and energy: home charging, solar and energy storage products.
• Advice: the "EV Reality Check" sessions tackle common EV myths, and a matchmaker service suggests vehicles that fit each visitor's needs.
• Entertainment: freestyle motocross demos, custom vehicle displays, food trucks, live music and a kids' zone.

For anyone weighing up an electric car or e-bike, this is one of the few places to try many brands in a single afternoon, with no dealership sales pressure.

Key details