The UK, after one false start (Britishvolt) is on the brink of making a deal with Tata to build a factory to produce much-needed lithium-ion batteries. With the legal end of IC-powered cars fast approaching, the Bridgwater plant will come none too soon.
Meanwhile, France has just commissioned a new plant which will start production later this year. Three more battery plants are planned for northern France, Reuter reports;
The development by Automotive Cells Company, a joint-venture between Stellantis (STLAM.MI), Mercedes (MBGn.DE) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), involves total investment of 2 billion euros ($2.20 billion) - with the French state and local authorities providing nearly half.[,,,]
It highlights the race between European governments to attract global car makers as they seek to bring the supply of components for electric vehicles closer to their main markets."ACC's new plant marks a key milestone in Europe's transformation to make its auto industry more resilient, competitive, and sustainable, also in the electric era," Ola Källenius, Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz, said ahead of the inauguration.
The plant will start production of lithium-ion batteries later this year with an initial capacity of 13 gigawatt hours (GWh), to be ramped up to around 40 GWh, enough to fit some 500,000 cars a year. It is expected to help create up to 2,000 jobs by 2030, the companies and regional authorities have said.
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