There is no time to lose, that is one of the phrases repeated by major automotive brands on the European continent and it is not for less. The world of electric mobility is here to stay and Volkswagen knows it well and they have to get down to work. The firm has begun construction of its new gigafactory in Salzgitter entering the battery business with PowerCo.
The Volkswagen Group has set to work on centralizing the global business of the European company PowerCo. To do this, at the Salzgitter headquarters manage the operations of international factories, the further development of cell technology, vertical integration of the value chain and the supply of machinery and equipment to factories. Not content with this, their next factory will be located in Valencia and they are studying the possibility of expanding their business to North America.
The chairman of the board of directors of PowerCo, Thomas Schmall, is optimistic and assures that it is the future he wanted for the brand: “With the construction of our first in-house cell factory, we are applying our technology roadmap consistently. PowerCo will become a global player in the battery sector. The company’s strength will be vertical integration, from raw materials and the cell to recycling. In the future, we will take care of all relevant activities within the company and gain a strategic competitive advantage in the race for e-mobility leadership. We have achieved a top team for this great company.”
Thinking ahead
In the future, the plant will reach an annual capacity of 40 GWh, enough for about 500,000 electric vehicles. By 2030, the Volkswagen Group expects to have and operate six cell factories with a total volume of 240 GWh across Europe, together with its partners. The new unified cell takes advantage of the effects of synergy and reduce battery costs by up to 50%. The prototypes produced to date have shown very promising performance in terms of range, charging times and safety, essential requirements for a future industry standard.
