An electric shock for VW Group’s supply chain in Europe
By Marcus Williams2022-05-06T11:31:00
Volkswagen’s head of battery cell logistics, Matthias Braun, told delegates at ALSC Europe about VW’s vertical integration of lithium battery production in Europe and the impact on the supply chain
The construction of a 200-hectare battery plant in Spain is one of the main projects included in VW Group’s Future: Fast Forward strategy, which aims to make Spain a European centre for electric vehicle (EV) production.
That is part of a much wider iniatiative by VW Group to support EV production in Europe with its own localised battery production. Vertical integration of battery production within VW Group in Europe is in part motivated by the fact the battery makes up around 40% of the value of a pure EV, but battery production remains predominantly in the hands of Asian producers. Bringing that value inhouse while at the same time removing the risks associated with international battery cell supply is a strategy that more and more European carmakers are looking at.