Finnish company Valmet Automotive says it is expecting sales from its electric vehicles (EV) batteries business to reach the same level, or even surpass that, of its vehicle contract manufacturing operations within the next few years. As such, the company says its business strategy has been adapted to emphasize the importance of e-mobility in all business lines.
To this end Valmet has set a target of becoming a key player both as a contract battery manufacturer and as a Tier-1 system supplier. This target is based on the predicted continuous growth in demand for batteries and the company’s expertise in engineering and manufacturing of 48V and high-voltage batteries for plug-in and for all-electric vehicles.
The company’s EV Systems business line was only founded in 2018 and is led by senior vice president Jyrki Nurmi. It has been constantly expanding and today employs about 300 people in Finland and 50 people in Germany. Series production of the first battery system developed by Valmet Automotive began in 2018 at the Uusikaupunki battery plant; the high-volume Salo battery plant, which is currently ramping up production to new record levels, was started in 2019.
In February 2020, a battery test center was opened in Bad Friedrichshall, Germany. The company notes that its EV Systems business line also includes engineering of batteries, with engineering teams located in Finland and Germany.