The Volkswagen Group Components’ plant in Braunschweig, Germany, is significantly expanding its production of battery systems. Following an initial expansion which gave a maximum output of 250,000 battery systems per annum, the second expansion phase will see this capacity more than doubled. In total, the site will be able to deliver more than 600,000 battery systems per year.
“The strong demand for attractive and affordable electric models based on the modular electric drive matrix has the lines of the first expansion stage working at full capacity, so we have fired up the second stage. As such, the component is underpinning the Group’s unprecedented electric campaign,” explained Thomas Schmall, CEO of Volkswagen Group Components and member of the Group Board of Management for Technology.
“Volkswagen Group Components has taken on the management of the ‘Battery Cell & Battery System’ and ‘Charging & Energy’ business units within the Volkswagen Group, and plans to use its economies of scale and innovative power to develop optimum batteries and charging offers for Volkswagen customers. Within this, thanks to its development and manufacturing competence for battery systems, the Braunschweig site has been assigned a key role.”
The plant has also received approval for expanding its PHEV production capacities. VW says that while more than 50,000 hybrid battery systems a year are leaving the plant today, as of 2023, this will be upped to 300,000 battery systems.
“Through the consistent orientation toward electric mobility and a clear focusing of the product range, the Braunschweig site is lining itself up to be economically future-safe. The transformation of the site goes hand-in-hand with the transformation of its employees, who have been comprehensively qualified for working with batteries. This way, we can contribute to job security at the site”, noted plant manager Martin Schmuck.