Star Metro - Battery X Metals Appoints Automotive Industry Professional from Canadian Subsidiary of One of the World's Leading Premium Automobile Manufacturers, Headquartered in Munich, Germany, to its Advisory Board to Advance Commercialization of Its Patent-Pending Lithium-Ion Battery Rebalancing Machine

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / June 12, 2026 / Battery X Metals Inc. (CSE:BATX)(OTCQB:BATXF)(FSE:5YW0, WKN:A41RJF) ("Battery X Metals" or the "Company") an energy transition resource exploration and technology company, announces the appointment of Mr. Zachary Funk, an experienced automotive industry professional who currently holds a regional sales and operations role with the Canadian division of one of the world's leading manufacturers of premium automobiles (the "Global Premium Automobile Manufacturer"), headquartered in Munich, Germany,¹ to its Advisory Board (the "Advisory Board").

The appointment of Mr. Funk to its Advisory Board follows the Company's previously announced appointment of Mr. Jeffrey Greenberg, former Director and executive officer of Fortune 500 company Skechers USA, Inc., as disclosed in the Company's news release dated December 24, 2025, and reflects the continued expansion of the Company's Advisory Board as it builds a multidisciplinary group of industry leaders, business operators, and commercialization-focused advisors to support the advancement and market deployment of its battery lifecycle technologies.

Appointment of Zachary Funk

Mr. Funk brings extensive experience in sales, operations, and dealer-network development, having held senior roles within some of Canada's most recognized premium automotive groups. In his current position with the Global Premium Automobile Manufacturer, he oversees the operational performance of 13 management teams across Canada, guiding a comprehensive set of sales and customer-experience key performance indicators, including sales-volume targets, client-satisfaction metrics, and retail-execution standards. He is responsible for ensuring that retailers consistently meet the brand's global expectations for service quality, performance, and presentation. Through this role, Mr. Funk contributes directly to the regional implementation of the Global Premium Automobile Manufacturer's sales and operational strategies for one of its globally recognized performance- and design-focused brands, reinforcing customer-centric initiatives and driving operational excellence across the network.

Prior to his current position with the Global Premium Automobile Manufacturer, Mr. Funk served in dual brand management roles overseeing both new and pre-owned operations for leading globally recognized automotive marques within the GAIN Group, which operates a network of more than 20 automotive businesses across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.²

Role within Battery X Metals' Advisory Board

As part of his appointment to the Advisory Board, Mr. Funk will assist the Company in an advisory capacity, providing strategic insight and guidance relating to the development and commercialization pathway of its patent-pending lithium-ion battery rebalancing software and hardware system (the "Rebalancing Machine"). Leveraging his experience in sales, operations, and dealer-network management, Mr. Funk will advise on matters relating to business development, market-entry strategies, and engagement withing the broader automotive ecosystem. In particular, Mr. Funk will support the Company by providing strategic insight into engagement approaches with automotive groups, dealership and service networks, and advise on customer-adoption and commercialization strategies.

Performance Validation of Patent-Pending Lithium-Ion Battery Rebalancing Machine

Battery X Metals, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Battery X Rebalancing Technologies Inc., has developed a next-generation working prototype designed to extend the remaining useful life of electric vehicle (EV) batteries by rebalancing cell-level imbalances that degrade performance over time. Validation of the Rebalancing Machine has demonstrated measurable capacity recovery and range improvement across multiple EV platforms, underscoring the technology's potential to reduce replacement costs, extend vehicle life cycles, and promote sustainability through more efficient utilization of existing battery resources.

As disclosed in the Company's news releases dated July 4, July 25, October 24, 2025, and January 13, 2026, the Company completed a series of real-world driving performance trials (each, a "Trial," and together, the "Trials") on two fully electric Class 3 commercial vehicles (each an "Electric Truck," and together, the "Electric Trucks"). In the first Trial, the Rebalancing Machine restored a severely degraded battery pack from a reported range of approximately 40 kilometers to an estimated 295 kilometers under no-load conditions, representing a 255-kilometer increase, or approximately 637 percent improvement. In the second Trial, the BATX Rebalancing Machine's integrated diagnostic function identified a defective cell within a parallel-connected group that had caused premature vehicle shutdown below approximately 60 percent state of charge ("SOC"). Targeted cell replacement, followed by rebalancing, restored the Electric Truck's effective driving range from approximately 40 kilometers to an estimated 265 kilometers under no-load conditions, representing a 225-kilometer increase, or approximately 563 percent improvement.

In the third Trial, as disclosed in the Company's news release dated October 24, 2025, in a follow-up validation assessment, the second Electric Truck maintained stable range performance after approximately four months and more than 2,000 kilometers of real-world operation. The vehicle achieved an estimated range of approximately 250 kilometers during the first Trial and a weighted average effective driving range of approximately 220 kilometers per full charge over a cumulative 0.92 state of charge. These results confirm that the improvement achieved through targeted intervention and rebalancing procedures was sustained over time, with only minor range variance, demonstrating the durability of the rebalancing procedure and its potential to extend remaining useful battery lifespan and improve performance and efficiency across consumer, fleet, and commercial EV applications. In the fourth Trial, as disclosed in the Company's news release dated January 13, 2026, the Company announced the results of a real-world performance trial on a light-duty electric vehicle equipped with a severely imbalanced 144-cell lithium-ion battery pack that had become effectively inoperable, with an estimated pre-rebalancing range of approximately 0.1 kilometers per charge. Following completion of a full rebalancing procedure, the vehicle achieved an average estimated driving range of approximately 135.9 kilometers per charge under mixed driving conditions.

Further, as disclosed in the Company's news release dated May 22, 2026, the Company announced the results of a series of lithium-ion battery rebalancing trials by multiple international arm's length third-party automotive service centers on multipole electric vehicle platforms manufactured by BYD Company Limited ("BYD") utilizing its next-generation, patent-pending battery rebalancing technology, demonstrating estimated driving range improvements of up to approximately 84 kilometers per charge. The results, observed across BYD Song, Seal, and Han vehicle models, are intended to support ongoing validation, commercialization, and deployment initiatives related to the Company's battery rebalancing technology platform and further demonstrate its potential applicability across high-volume electric vehicle ecosystems.

Together, the Trials demonstrate the Rebalancing Machine's ability to restore degraded battery capacity caused by battery cell imbalance, extend remaining useful lifespan, and address diagnose cell-level defects across EV battery packs - without resorting to costly full battery pack replacements. By delivering battery rebalancing and diagnostics across multiple EV battery chemistries and configurations, the Company is positioned to address the growing need for scalable, cost-effective battery lifespan extension and recovery solutions as nearly 40 million electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles worldwide are anticipated to fall outside of their original warranty coverage by 2031.^5,6

The Company continues to advance its commercialization roadmap through ongoing research and development initiatives focused on refining standard operating procedures (SOPs), enhancing software functionality, advancing preparations for Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification, expanding EV brand and model adaptor compatibility, and implementing hardware design enhancements for its next-generation patent-pending lithium-ion battery rebalancing platform. Further to the Company's news release dated January 2, 2026, the Company continues to advance the development of adaptor and connector solutions for the Tesla Model 3 battery platform, supporting its broader compatibility expansion strategy targeting the #1 selling electric vehicle brand in the United States. Further to the Company's news release dated May 14, 2026, announcing the delivery of three next-generation patent-pending lithium-ion battery rebalancing machines and related supporting components, the Company continues to utilize these systems to support ongoing validation activities, adaptor development, product refinement, and commercialization readiness initiatives. Through these efforts, the Company is continuing the technical development and commercial evaluation of its battery rebalancing platform as it advances toward broader market deployment.

As the number of out-of-warranty EVs experiencing battery degradation from cell imbalance may continue to grow with the broader out-of-warranty EV market, the Company's objective is to extend the remaining useful life of EV battery packs, lower the total cost of ownership for fleet operators and consumers, and empower automotive service centers with a new revenue stream to diagnose and rebalance EV batteries, supporting the global transition toward sustainable electric mobility. The appointment of Mr. Funk to the Advisory Board represents key milestones in strengthening industry engagement and accelerating commercialization initiatives.

"We are very pleased to welcome Mr. Funk to our Advisory Board," said Massimo Bellini Bressi, CEO of Battery X Metals. "His experience within one of the world's leading premium automobile manufacturers' Canadian division and prior experience with premium automotive dealership groups is expected to provide an exceptional understanding of dealer networks, customer adoption, and automotive business development. Mr. Funk's ability to connect our next-generation, patent-pending technology with the right potential commercial partners and provide hands-on strategic guidance are expected to be invaluable as we advance our patent-pending lithium-ion rebalancing machine toward market deployment."

"I am excited to join Battery X Metals' Advisory Board at such a pivotal stage in the commercialization cycle of its patent-pending lithium-ion rebalancing machine," said Zachary Funk. "Extending the useful life of EV batteries is essential not only for reducing long-term costs for owners, but also for enabling the automotive industry to deliver on its sustainability commitments. Drawing on my experience with premium automotive brands and dealer networks, I look forward to helping the Company build strategic partnerships, open sales channels, and accelerate the adoption of this technology."

The Problem: Rising EV Adoption Presents New Battery Lifecycle Challenges

In 2024, global EV sales reached approximately 17.1 million units, representing a 25% increase from 2023.³ With cumulative global EV sales from 2015 to 2023 totaling an estimated over 40 million units,⁴ a significant share of the global EV fleet is expected to exit warranty coverage over the coming years. ^5,6

By 2031, nearly 40 million electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles worldwide are anticipated to fall outside of their original warranty coverage.^5,6 This projection is based on current EV adoption figures and standard industry warranty terms, and underscores a growing risk for EV owners facing battery degradation, reduced capacity, and costly replacement requirements.⁷ As the global EV fleet continues to expand, the demand for technologies that extend battery life, reduce long-term ownership costs, and support a sustainable transition to electric mobility is increasing.

The Solution: Pioneering Next-Generation Technologies to Support Lithium-Ion Battery Longevity

Battery X Rebalancing Technologies' proprietary software and hardware technology aims to address this challenge by extending the lifespan of EV batteries. This innovation is being developed with the aim to enhance the sustainability of electric transportation and the goal to provide EV owners with a more cost-effective, environmentally friendly ownership experience by reducing the need for costly battery replacements.

Battery X Rebalancing Technologies' rebalancing technology, validated by the National Research Council of Canada ("NRC"), focuses on battery cell rebalancing. The NRC validation demonstrated the technology's ability to effectively correct cell imbalances in lithium-ion battery packs, recovering nearly all lost capacity due to cell imbalance. The validation was conducted on battery modules composed of fifteen 72Ah LiFePO₄ cells connected in series. The cells were initially balanced to a uniform state of charge (SOC), with a measured discharge capacity of 71.10Ah. In the validation test, three of the fifteen cells were then artificially imbalanced-one cell was charged to a 20% higher SOC, and two cells were discharged to a 20% lower SOC-resulting in a reduced discharge capacity of 46.24Ah, following rebalancing using Battery X Rebalancing Technologies' rebalancing technology.

^{1 Public information from the website of the Global Premium Automobile Manufacturer (source not linked for confidentiality), 2 Gain Group, 3 Rho Motion - Global EV Sales 2024, 4 IEA Global EV Outlook 2024, 5 IEA, 6 U.S. News, 7 Recurrent Auto}

About Battery X Metals Inc.

Battery X Metals (CSE:BATX) (OTCQB:BATXF) (FSE:5YW0, WKN: A41RJF) is an energy transition resource exploration and technology company committed to advancing domestic battery and critical metal resource exploration and developing next-generation proprietary technologies. Taking a diversified, 360° approach to the battery metals industry, the Company focuses on exploration, lifespan extension, and recycling of lithium-ion batteries and battery materials. For more information, visit batteryxmetals.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Massimo Bellini Bressi, Director
For further information, please contact:
Massimo Bellini Bressi
Chief Executive Officer
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (604) 694-9823

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this release relate to, among other things: the Company's business objectives, strategies, and future plans with respect to the development, validation, commercialization, deployment, and adoption of its patent-pending lithium-ion battery rebalancing technology and related software and hardware systems; the expected benefits of the Advisory Board and the appointment of Mr. Funk, including his anticipated contributions to commercialization initiatives, partnership development, customer adoption strategies, market-entry planning, business development activities, and industry engagement efforts; the continued expansion and strategic value of the Company's Advisory Board; the anticipated outcomes of future business development, commercialization, partnership, deployment, and market-expansion initiatives; the performance, scalability, compatibility, commercialization potential, and market adoption of the Rebalancing Machine; the continuation and results of future validation programs, assessments, demonstrations, pilot initiatives, and commercial evaluations; the Company's ability to expand compatibility across additional EV brands, models, battery architectures, and vehicle platforms, including through the development of adaptor and connector solutions for the Tesla Model 3 battery platform; ongoing software enhancements, hardware design improvements, refinement of standard operating procedures, and preparation for Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification; the anticipated benefits of the delivery and utilization of next-generation rebalancing machines and supporting components; the Company's ability to advance commercialization readiness initiatives and broader market deployment; the applicability of the Company's technology across high-volume electric vehicle ecosystems; the Company's ability to establish strategic relationships with automotive service providers, dealership groups, fleet operators, and other industry participants; the potential for the Company's technology to restore battery capacity, improve performance, diagnose cell-level defects, extend the remaining useful life of EV batteries, reduce battery replacement requirements, reduce total cost of ownership, generate new revenue opportunities for automotive service providers, and support sustainable electric mobility; management's expectations regarding future demand for battery diagnostics, rebalancing, and battery lifecycle-extension technologies; and the Company's broader plans to advance proprietary technologies that support battery lifespan extension, performance recovery, and battery sustainability solutions. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections that are believed to be reasonable as of the date of this news release. However, such statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the ability to successfully commercialize the Rebalancing Machine; the ability to achieve anticipated benefits from the Advisory Board or the appointment of Mr. Funk; the ability to develop, validate, and deploy commercially viable battery rebalancing technologies; the ability to expand compatibility across additional EV battery platforms, including the successful development and implementation of vehicle-specific adaptor and connector solutions; technical, engineering, operational, or manufacturing challenges encountered during product development, testing, validation, certification, or deployment; the timing and outcome of UL certification activities; variability in results obtained from future trials, validations, demonstrations, pilot programs, or real-world deployments; the ability to secure or maintain strategic partnerships, commercial agreements, revenue-generating relationships, or customer adoption; market acceptance of the Company's technology; changes in EV adoption trends, battery technologies, battery architectures, industry standards, or competitive conditions; regulatory developments; intellectual property risks; reliance on third-party development, manufacturing, validation, or commercialization partners; availability of financing; and general economic, market, industry, and geopolitical conditions. Forward-looking statements reflect management's beliefs, assumptions, and expectations only as of the date hereof and are not guarantees of future performance. There can be no assurance that the Company will achieve its commercialization objectives, successfully expand compatibility across additional EV platforms, obtain anticipated certifications, establish additional strategic or commercial relationships, achieve market adoption of its technology, or that future validation and commercialization activities will replicate the results disclosed herein. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are encouraged to consult the Company's continuous disclosure filings available under its profile at SEDAR+ for additional risk factors and further information.

SOURCE: Battery X Metals

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L.Côte--SMC