EcoPro Innovation's plant in Debrecen, Hungary (EcoPro Innovation) South Korean battery materials maker EcoPro Innovation said Friday it had signed a four-year deal to supply lithium hydroxide to a global automaker, enough to power roughly 200,000 vehicles.The deal, covering 12,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide, marks the first time the company has secured a direct supply contract with an automaker rather than a battery cell maker. Financial terms and the name of the automaker were not disclosed due to a confidentiality agreement.The company previously signed long-term lithium hydroxide supply agreements with Korean battery makers Samsung SDI in 2024 and SK On in 2025.Lithium hydroxide is a key raw material used in high-nickel cathodes for electric vehicle batteriesEcoPro Innovation explained that its production base in Debrecen, Hungary, was a key factor in securing the contract, along with its regulatory compliance capabilities, supported by a closed-loop system capable of recovering and reprocessing lithium.The company said its ability to process and supply lithium locally in Hungary gives it an advantage in complying with Europe’s Critical Raw Materials Act, an EU law aimed at securing localized supplies of critical minerals for EV and clean-energy industries.“Traditionally, battery cell makers or cathode materials producers directly sourced lithium hydroxide, but the global automaker highly evaluated our quality and price competitiveness and ability to respond to global regulation, leading to a direct contract,” an EcoPro Innovation official said. “We will use this as a foothold to accelerate efforts to secure new global customers, including in Europe.”