Battery Production

InoBat has begun producing battery cells in western Slovakia with equipment by Wuxi Lead and is planning to build a gigafactory in southern Slovakia with Gotion High-Tech from China.

Daimler Truck, Cumminsʼ “Accelera” business unit and U.S. truck manufacturer Paccar have founded the “Amplify Cell Technologies” joint venture, planning a new gigafactory.

Battery joint venture ACC, backed by Stellantis and Mercedes, has suspended work on its cell factories in Germany and Italy due to a switch to cheaper batteries.

Porsche is hesitating to build a battery cell factory in Brandenburg. According to Tagesspiegel Background Verkehr, the supervisory board will decide on June 7 to temporarily suspend the project. Recently, Porsche started production of the all-electric Macan in Leipzig and considered building a battery factory in Schwarzheide, near Leipzig, and a BASF plant for cathode material. However, plans have now stalled. The supervisory board doubts the gigafactory’s necessity due to weak demand for electric vehicles in Germany and overcapacity in battery cells. “The problems in China, the largest automotive market, and the weak demand for electric cars in Germany are causing the company strategists to hesitate,” reports “Tagesspiegel Background Verkehr.” If the project is halted, it would not be completely abandoned, but also not actively pursued. The in-house battery cells were planned for performance-oriented vehicles, not volume models like the Macan. Porsche sources cells from CATL for the electric SUV, produced at the Thuringia plant in Erfurter Kreuz. Source: https://background.tagesspiegel.de/mobilitaet/brandenburg-den-strom-abgestellt

For the duration of ten years, CATL will be working with the Chinese start-up company Neta Auto in areas such as zero emissions, battery replacement, battery recycling, and market development.

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.