Volvo is going to build a new battery factory in Gothenburg in collaboration with the start-up Northvolt. The two parties announced this today. The factory will complement the already planned research center, which will open its doors next year. Construction of the battery factory will start in 2023. It should be operational in 2025.
Gothenburg is a logical place for Volvo to locate the battery factory, as Volvo’s headquarters and largest factory are also located in the Swedish city. Logistically, this is the easiest, because there is a direct route from the battery factory to the car factory. The energy required for the factory there can also be generated sustainably. The factory should ultimately be good for a production capacity of 50 GWh per year. This means that the factory can supply the batteries for half a million cars every year. The Volvo and Northvolt battery factory provides 3,000 jobs. Volvo plucked knowledge from Tesla for the management of the factory. Former Tesla driver Adrian Clarke will manage the battery factory.
The factory is part of the previous investment of approximately €2.9 billion that Volvo and Northvolt are making together in a joint venture. The money will also go into a battery research center, which should be operational next year. Ultimately, the goal is to develop tailor-made batteries that can be seamlessly integrated into the next generation of electric Volvos and Polestars, with the aim of increasing the range and shortening charging times. The batteries must also be produced in a climate-neutral way. Volvo and Northvolt are pedaling the power even more, because the two parties previously announced that the battery factory would not open until 2026. That opening has now been brought forward by a year.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl