Photo: Volkswagen
It looks like the idea of Volkswagen building its own version of Tesla's Gigafactory in Europe is starting to catch more and more shape as talks around what tech company could provide the necessary support emerge.
Over in Nevada, Tesla is working with Panasonic on its grandiose project, with the Japanese firm contributing with both technical know-how, but also funds. Panasonic will be responsible for building the battery cells themselves, while Tesla will assemble them into larger packs. A few days ago, Panasonic said it expects its battery sales to double thanks to the release of Tesla's Model 3.
Still fighting with the aftermath of Dieselgate - the only recent scandal in the automotive world that came close to the Takata airbag fiasco - Volkswagen is now shifting its efforts towards electric vehicles. With Tesla having taken care of the most difficult part - making EVs desirable - the biggest German manufacturer is now eyeing this segment as the best solution to a change in the way the company is perceived by the public.
Volkswagen plans to sell at least one million electric cars over the ten years, with figures potentially going as high as three million. To do that, not only does it need to come up with very appealing and competitive electric models, but it also needs to find a way of ensuring a steady supply of battery cells.
It looks like VW will follow Tesla's example and build its own factory costing close to two billion euros, and to do that, it's going to need help from somebody who has a history of making battery cells that's longer than the zero years Volkswagen can brag with. A Bloomberg report says that VW has narrowed it down to two possible names, out of which one stands out for obvious reasons: it's Panasonic or LG Chem.
With Panasonic busy worrying about meeting Tesla's future demands, Volkswagen seems to be left with just one option, even though LG Chem too is working with GM on its Bolt EV. But we're sure any company would be happy to leave everything and work with what was once the world's biggest carmaker, even if only for a month or two.
Still fighting with the aftermath of Dieselgate - the only recent scandal in the automotive world that came close to the Takata airbag fiasco - Volkswagen is now shifting its efforts towards electric vehicles. With Tesla having taken care of the most difficult part - making EVs desirable - the biggest German manufacturer is now eyeing this segment as the best solution to a change in the way the company is perceived by the public.
Volkswagen plans to sell at least one million electric cars over the ten years, with figures potentially going as high as three million. To do that, not only does it need to come up with very appealing and competitive electric models, but it also needs to find a way of ensuring a steady supply of battery cells.
It looks like VW will follow Tesla's example and build its own factory costing close to two billion euros, and to do that, it's going to need help from somebody who has a history of making battery cells that's longer than the zero years Volkswagen can brag with. A Bloomberg report says that VW has narrowed it down to two possible names, out of which one stands out for obvious reasons: it's Panasonic or LG Chem.
With Panasonic busy worrying about meeting Tesla's future demands, Volkswagen seems to be left with just one option, even though LG Chem too is working with GM on its Bolt EV. But we're sure any company would be happy to leave everything and work with what was once the world's biggest carmaker, even if only for a month or two.
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