Mexican Media Brands
VW Begins Pilot Production of Battery Cells
Volkswagen AG has begun small-scale production of lithium-ion battery cells on a pilot line at the company’s new Center of Excellence in Salzgitter, Germany.
Share
Volkswagen AG has begun small-scale production of lithium-ion battery cells on a pilot line at the company’s new Center of Excellence in Salzgitter, Germany.
VW says it is investing more than €100 million ($109 million) in the first phase of the program. This will include developing and testing advanced manufacturing processes for electric vehicle batteries.
The Salzgitter battery center employs 300 people. In addition to the pilot production line, engineers there are working on next-generation designs and new chemistries to optimize performance and reduce costs. A recycling pilot program will be launched in 2020.
In June, VW announced a €900 million ($985 million) investment in Northvolt AB, a Stockholm-based startup that specializes in EV batteries. As part of the deal, the companies created a joint venture. The partners plan to begin constructing a 16-GWh factory in Germany by early 2024.
VW Group plans to introduce 70 plug-in hybrid and pure EVs across its brands by 2028 with cumulative sales of 22 million units by that time. The carmaker says it must source batteries from multiple suppliers and produce them in house to satisfy demand.
RELATED CONTENT
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable
-
Cadillac Creates More Luxury: the XT5
Paul Spadafora, chief engineer, Cadillac XT5, had, in his estimation, a fantastic opportunity as he and his team set about to develop Cadillac’s all-new midsize crossover vehicle for a number of reasons, one of which is the simple fact that this is one of the hottest segments going in the auto industry, so if you want to be in the game, you have to play hard against the likes of the Audi Q5 and the Mercedes GLE-Class.
-
On Zeekr, the Price of EVs, and Lighting Design
About Zeekr, failure, the price of EVs, lighting design, and the exceedingly attractive Karma
