Volkswagen Open to German Battery Consortium: Report

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess spoke late last month about the company’s EV plans that included 50 million EV batteries and cars to put them in. Now the company is open to joining a German consortium looking at producing more cells, according to a new report.

Diess has said that Germany should try and avoid a dependence on Asian suppliers, like LG Chem and Contemporary Amperex Technology, companies they currently deal with. The German government is coordinating efforts to help do that. Raising domestic and European production of cells as automakers push to EVs.

The German government has set aside $1.2 billion to support the effort. Producing cells and establishing a research facility. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said the country wants 30 percent of that production coming from Germany and Europe by 2030, Automotive News reports.

Altmaier has been in contact with counterparts in France, Poland and Austria about the matter, AN said.

The report, quoting sources familiar with the matter, said that in addition to VW, Ford Germany, German battery maker Varta Microbattery and chemical company BASF are involved in the talks. South Korean supplier LG Chem has already opened a plant in Poland that is supplying some automakers. Samsung SDI and SK Innovation are planning plants in Hungary.

[source: Automotive News Europe]

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