Automotive group PSA and energy company Total have signed an agreement for the creation of a joint venture called Automotive Cells Company. ACC is to become a world-class player in the development and manufacture of high-performance batteries for the automotive industry from 2023.

Through its subsidiary Saft, Total will contribute its expertise in R&D and industrialisation, while Groupe PSA brings its knowledge of the automotive market and its experience in production to the table. The R&D centre in Bordeaux and the pilot site in Nersac (France) have already started development of the new high-performance lithium-ion technologies. At the end of this R&D phase, production is planned to be launched in two so-called gigafactories, one in Douvrin (France) and one in Kaiserslautern (Germany).

The project is deemed essential to accompany the growth demand for electric vehicles in a European market estimated at 400 GWh by 2030, i.e. 15 times the current market. The whole project will absorb an investment of more than €5 billion.

Source: FleetEurope