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Volkswagen Group, three new partnerships for the development and production of batteries

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The future of the electric car is closely related to the development of batteries, the real heart of zero-emission cars together with software. To improve its experience in the field of accumulators, the Wolfsburg group has signed three independent partnerships with the common goal of developing increasingly innovative technologies that are essential for producing highly sustainable batteries in series. In parallel, the Volkswagen Group continues to advance in the development and direct production of battery cells, as announced on the occasion of Power Day in March 2021. In Europe alone, 6 gigafactories dedicated to batteries will be built by 2030.

Volkswagen AG e Umicore

The two companies will set up a joint venture for the procurement of cathode materials for the European plants where the cells of the Wolfsburg group will be produced. The intention is to gradually increase the production capacity of the joint venture, starting from 2025 with the gigafactory of Salzgitter, for which an initial capacity of 20 GWh per year is planned. The ultimate goal, on the other hand, is to reach an annual production capacity of up to 160 GWh by 2030, which is what is needed to power approximately 2.2 million 100% electric vehicles. To achieve these objectives, it is essential to be able to count on a long-term partnership that also includes the sharing of investments and to define a path to develop next generation technologies, as well as the optimization of costs and production processes. Another important aspect will be to create production capacity both for the cathodic materials and for the precursors, also guaranteeing the availability of ethically procured, sustainable and competitively priced raw materials. At a later stage, Volkswagen and Umicore will consider integrating further activities related to cell recycling and refining into the joint venture. The aim is to create a European supply chain for batteries.

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24M Technologies, new technologies for batteries

The purpose of the Volkswagen Group’s partnership with 24M Technologies – a US start-up born as a spin off of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – is to industrialize the technology of the same name, that is a semi-solid process for making batteries, an evolution compared to that of dry coating. In this way it will be possible to optimize the production costs of the batteries, reducing the use of material and eliminating several steps from the conventional production process. For this, a new subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group will further develop the technology invented by 24M Technologies. Among the potential advantages are the reduction of the production area up to 40%, a considerable saving on investments and more efficient recycling, in addition to the reduction of the carbon footprint related to the production of batteries. Implementation of the process in mass production is expected in the second half of the decade.

Litio carbon neutral grazie a Vulcan Energy Resources

Vulcan Energy Resources will supply the Volkswagen Group with lithium carbon neutral – produced from a local geothermal brine – from the Rhine Valley in Germany. The contract provides for the supply of lithium hydroxide for 5 years starting from 2026. Thanks to this agreement, the Volkswagen Group will be able to secure the coverage necessary for the direct production of battery cells in Germany and, more generally, in Europe.

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