Just three plants instead of six could be possible
New plan hints at even more Canadian production
Volkswagen is scaling back its battery factory plans. The move, which is the result in a so-called slump in EV sales, could have a serious impact on its planned factory in Ontario.
Three years ago, Volkswagen said it would have six battery cell plants by the end of the decade. Those plants would contribute 240 GWh to its battery production, helping VW build millions of EVs ever year.
The plan is for fewer factories than before, possibly just half of the original six. Volkswagen CTO Thomas Schmall told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung about the changes (via Automotive News Europe). “The expansion of the plants will depend on how the market for e-cars develops,” he said in the interview.
“We are currently planning to produce up to 170 gigawatt hours at the three sites in Salzgitter, Valencia, and Ontario,” Schmall told FAS. Instead of building three more, VW has the ability to expand sites in Valencia and Ontario to reach 200 GWh. That doesn’t mean it will, just that it can. “I do not yet know whether the expansion in Spain and Canada will happen. But it is certainly feasible in the six years up to 2030 if it is needed,” he said.
He also announced that Volkswagen would start producing solid-state batteries for EVs sometime in this decade. The new tech promises longer range and faster charging. Earlier this summer, VW announced a deal that would let it produce solid-state cells based on technology from Quantumscape.
