Global automaker Stellantis in a bid to bolster its growing EV production is aiming to expand its battery building capacity to 400 GWh, Reuters reported on September quoting the company’s head of global propulsion systems.
The group was also working to secure key long term supplies of materials and chemicals that are necessary to feed this capacity expansion, said Micky Bly, Stellantis Senior Vice President, Head of Global Propulsion Systems.
"We have already announced about 250 gigawatt hours of capacity around the world. We believe we need to go to 400 gigawatt hours of capacity around the world," Bly said during the inaugurating of the group's new Battery Technology Center in Turin, Italy. We have committed to delivering six gigafactories around the world, and more to come," Bly said. However, he did not specify whether the group planned to build more gigafactories on top of those already announced to expand the capacity.
Significance: The world's third-largest carmaker by sales earlier this year opened its first European gigafactory, in France, to be followed by ones in Germany and Italy, all through the ACC joint venture Stellantis has with Mercedes-Benz and TotalEnergies. Another three facilities are planned in the US and Canada.
According to the company, more than 100 people will be employed in the Turin's Battery Technology Center, mostly retrained Stellantis workers, the group said adding that a similar facility for North America was being built in Windsor, Canada.
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