In addition to a comprehensive charging infrastructure, high-performance batteries are considered an essential prerequisite for the further spread of electric cars. The Opel-MotherStellantisand the Chinese battery giant CATL want to cooperate in the field of battery technology and have agreed in principle to supply car batteries in Europe. The companies are considering setting up a joint venture.
CATL is providing the French-Italian company with iron phosphate batteries, as both companies announced on Tuesday. The aim is long-term cooperation, it was said. “We believe that the partnership is an important step towards CO2 neutrality for the two companies,” explained CATL founder Robin Zeng (55).
Financial details were not disclosed. Stellantis has already founded the battery joint venture ACC with Mercedes and TotalEnergies and is building three gigafactories as part of this France, Germany and Italy.
Iron phosphate batteries are gaining ground among car manufacturers because they are cheaper and more stable than NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) and NCA (nickel-cobalt-aluminum) cells, which are installed in most electric vehicles. Since iron phosphate batteries have a lower energy density, they have so far been used in cheaper electric cars, but are becoming increasingly popular due to constant technological progress.
Dominator CATL
The partnership between Stellantis and CATL would be one of the most far-reaching agreements in Europe. Currently planning European Union stricter regulations to encourage local production and reduce dependence on China to reduce. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares (65) recently invested 1.6 billion dollars (1.46 billion euros) in the Chinese electric car startup Leapmotor in order to improve market access in China.
China’s battery manufacturers supply around 80 percent of the world’s cells. The companies from the Middle Kingdom have important mining and processing facilities at home and abroad. The country’s dominance in the field of battery technology repeatedly leads to geopolitical tensions between China USA and Europe.