Battery manufacturer the Automotive Cells Company (ACC) and Siemens have signed an MoU to join forces in a new strategic partnership. Under the agreement, Siemens will become ACC’s preferred supplier in automation, digitalization and electrification technology, enabling ACC to scale up its production, maximizing plant and energy efficiency.
The partnership is part of the Siemens Xcelerator open digital business platform and it is hoped the deal will make it easier and faster for ACC to progress toward its planned gigafactories at scale.
Siemens will give ACC access to its digital Enterprise portfolio of hardware and software, from production design to product design, product lifecycle management to energy management systems. As a starting point, Siemens and ACC plan to create comprehensive digital twins of the battery and production lines. Leveraging Totally Integrated Automation and Teamcenter software from Siemens Xcelerator, ACC will be able to better connect design and manufacturing to scale up production.
“The emergence of a European equipment industry is a key success factor for ACC, whose ambition is to be a European leader of automotive battery cells and modules. We must facilitate the establishment of an entire battery ecosystem, covering the entire value chain. From this perspective, being able to rely on Siemens is very important for ACC. Throughout the project, Siemens Xcelerator offers the perfect set of solutions for our needs,” said Yann Vincent, ACC’s CEO.
At the same time, Siemens is extending its footprint in the battery manufacturing industry. The company has signed several technology partnerships with leading companies, showcasing its deep domain know-how in this dynamic and fast-growing market. ACC’s gigafactories will increase the availability of high-performing and affordable EV batteries in Europe, accelerating the transformation of the automotive industry.
“Sustainably designed and produced batteries are good for the planet and good for our business, as they power the green transition and drive new growth,” said Cedrik Neike, a member of the managing board of Siemens, and CEO of Digital Industries. “As a prime partner in the transformation of the automotive industry, it is natural for us to join forces with ACC as we aim to jointly develop sustainable European car battery production.”
Beyond the traditional customer-supplier relationship, the agreement between ACC and Siemens extends to cooperation in the areas of IT/OT connectivity. The MoU also covers infrastructure solutions including energy management to create a carbon net zero factory.