Battery Production

French battery manufacturer Verkor has secured 1.3 billion euros in financing for its new battery cell factory in northern France. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2025.

Chinese battery manufacturer SVOLT has abandoned its plans to set up a German production facility in Brandenburg due to uncertainties in the automotive market.

Tesla has begun construction of a 204-million-dollar battery production facility in Shanghai which will manufacture megapack-energy storage units.

On June 6th and 7th, 2024, Rohmann Automation will host the second “Robotics meets eMobility” congress in Ingelheim am Rhein. The event focuses on the manufacturing and quality assurance of battery modules for electric mobility. Key topics include new production technologies and international competitiveness of German manufacturers. Prominent speakers from industry and politics Prominent speakers from the e-mobility and economic sectors, including Daniela Schmitt, Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, and Agriculture of Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as representatives from Daimler Truck, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and Stellantis, will present current projects and trends. Manufacturers such as CMBlu energy, Eberspächer, LG Energy Solutions, and Varta will showcase their innovations. Leading producers of robots and laser systems, such as ABB, Keyence, and Trumpf, will also participate. Networking of automation and traditional industry An accompanying exhibition will feature new solutions in robotics and quality assurance. Research institutions like the Fraunhofer EZRT and RWTH Aachen University will also be represented. The event provides a forum for the exchange and networking of automation and robotics companies with traditional industrial sectors. Jascha Rohmann, founder and CEO of Rohmann Automation GmbH, emphasizes the necessity of cross-industry collaboration to succeed in international competition. Link

ETH Zurich spin-off “8inks” has raised three million euros from investors to scale up its patented coating technology for lithium-ion batteries.

Skeleton Technologies, a developer and manufacturer of energy storage solutions, announced its expansion into France at a business summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Over five years, the company plans to invest €600 million in research and development and the production of “SuperBatteries.” “Skeleton will commence research and development of next-generation battery technologies later this year in Toulouse, in the southwest of France,” the company announced. “A mass production facility for ‘SuperBatteries’ is scheduled to be operational by 2027.” Founded in 2009 in Tartu, Skeleton Technologies opened its first facility in Germany, near Dresden, seven years ago. The company’s mass production facility for supercapacitors is currently under construction in Leipzig. Skeleton employs over 130 staff at its headquarters and development center in Tallinn. “We are the first Estonian industrial company to expand into two of Europe’s most important industrial nations, Germany and France. Undoubtedly, this is a milestone for us, paving the way for other Estonian green technology companies,” said Taavi Madiberk, CEO and co-founder of Skeleton Technologies. Source: https://news.err.ee/1609341672/skeleton-technologies-to-establish-superbattery-production-plant-in-france

Toyota plans to commence electric vehicle (EV) battery production at its new facility in North Carolina next year. The facility will manufacture battery packs for the company’s hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and EV vehicles. Toyota’s investments in the facility total $13.9 billion and significant progress has been made since construction began at the end of 2022. Sean Suggs, President of Toyota Battery Manufacturing in North Carolina, announced that battery production for EVs is slated to begin in the first quarter of next year. The initial batteries will be destined for an electric vehicle manufactured at Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant. Suggs reports positively on the current state of developments at the facility, highlighting the intensive testing phase involving around 300 team members on-site daily, with an additional 500 employees working at the main headquarters in Greensboro. Upon completion in 2028, the facility is expected to employ 5,100 people. The North Carolina facility’s production capacity is expected to reach 30 gigawatt-hours of batteries per year, distributed across seven buildings, each housing two production lines. Overall, the facility will encompass ten production lines for future battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid battery packs, and four lines for producing battery packs for hybrid cars. Source: https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/toyotas-139-billion-nc-battery-complex-juiced-production

By opening its 6,800-square-meter “PreFab” in Münster, Germany, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has officially put the “Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB” into operation.

California-based company Statevolt plans to manufacture solid-state battery cells at a new 3.2-billion dollar gigafactory in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by the end of 2026.

Honda plans to build electric vehicles and components in Ontario with financial support from the Canadian and provincial governments, according to a report by Reuters citing internal sources. As part of an agreement with Ottawa and Ontario, Honda will manufacture batteries, produce cathode material for the batteries, and assemble electric vehicles. The official announcement is scheduled for Thursday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford described the deal on Monday as the largest in Canadian history, worth twice as much as the planned Volkswagen electric vehicle plant in Ontario, which is expected to cost about $5 billion. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last year that Canada is seeking more targeted investments after providing substantial subsidies to Volkswagen and Stellantis-LG Energy Solution for their planned battery gigafactories. Last week, the federal budget introduced a new investment tax credit, offering companies a 10% discount on the cost of constructing new buildings used in key segments of the electric vehicle supply chain. Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/honda-build-electric-vehicles-batteries-ontario-says-source-2024-04-22/