Airbus of batteries: let's go!

After being approved by the European Commission last December, the "Battery Airbus" project took another step forward this week with the launch of construction of a pilot plant to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles.

At this site, Saft (Total Group) and PSA, together with Opel, will combine their expertise to develop a production activity in Europe for batteries that will deliver high energy performance in terms of range and charging time. To carry out this project, Saft and PSA have announced their intention to create a joint company called ACC (Automobile Cell Company).

A FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION OF TWO FACTORIES

A pilot plant will soon be operational at Saft's Nersac site, followed by two plants with capacities ranging from 8GWh to 24GWh

A CHALLENGE OF SOVEREIGNTY

By 2030, these two factories could produce one million batteries per year, representing around 10 to 15% of the European market. But to achieve this, it will be necessary to mobilize nearly 5 billion euros in investment. Hence the need for strong support from the European Union and several of its member states. The battery represents a third of the value of an electric vehicle and is currently the preserve of Asian producers. It is therefore an economic and ecological issue, as well as one of European sovereignty.