Volkswagen is not kidding about the motto “Way to Zero” adopted to symbolize the automaker’s electric car era. Proof of this was the brand’s first official step in 2022.
The German automaker confirmed that it will have 6 new battery plants for electric cars distributed throughout Europe, starting with the one in Salzgitter, in Lower Saxony (Germany), scheduled to open in 2025.
In addition, Volkswagen informed that it will open a new company dedicated exclusively to taking care of the electric battery sector, and not only for the development of new cells and products, but also for the recycling of those that are no longer useful.
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“We want to offer our customers powerful, economical and sustainable vehicle batteries, which means we need to be active at all stages of the battery value chain that are essential for success,” said Thomas Schmall, member of the Board of Directors of technology at Volkswagen AG and CEO of Volkswagen Group Components.
Sweden will have 2nd gig factory
The second of Volkswagen’s 6 battery giants also has a defined location. It will be built in Sweden in partnership with startup Northvolt AB, which already has 20% of its shares in the hands of the German brand.
The other four locations that will receive the automaker’s battery factories for electric cars will be defined shortly and all should be in operation by 2030, the year established by Volkswagen as the deadline for having 70% of sales concentrated in 100% electric cars.
“We are now pooling our energy in Salzgitter, with the aim of encouraging innovation and ensuring the best partners support our new company in the future. We already have a strong drum team in Salzgitter made up of 500 employees from 24 countries – and we continue to strengthen this team at the leadership level”, concluded the brand executive.
It is worth remembering that the German automaker recently announced a joint work with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in the Innovation Center of the German group in the United States.
The idea is to develop a higher power wireless charger using innovative designs that focus on electromagnetic waves to eliminate interference and, consequently, increase efficiency. According to Volkswagen, in the first tests, a prototype system showed a high level of efficiency, in which 98% of the energy used (coil to coil) could reach the vehicle’s battery.
