Photo: Volvo
Volvo is set to open a joint research and development center in Gothenburg with Northvolt, as part of a SEK 30 billion ($3.3 billion) investment in battery development and manufacturing. The facility will become operational next year and should create hundreds of jobs locally. It will also make Volvo one of the few carmakers to handle its own battery cell development and production.
After establishing the R&D center, Volvo and Northvolt will also build a new manufacturing facility in Europe, tasked with producing next-generation battery cells for future Volvo and Polestar models. The exact location for this facility will be announced in the coming months.
“Our partnership with Northvolt secures the supply of high-quality, sustainably-produced batteries for the next generation of pure electric Volvos,” said Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson. “It will strengthen our core competencies and our position in the transformation to a fully electric car company.”
The focus of this partnership between the Swedish carmaker and Northvolt is to develop tailor-made batteries allowing for increased range and quicker charging times. As for the joint battery plant, it will have a potential annual capacity of up to 50 gigawatt hours (GWh), meaning it should supply batteries for roughly 500,000 cars per year. Construction will kick off in 2023, with large scale production in 2026.
Securing its battery cell needs is a big part of Volvo’s ambitious electrification plan. The carmaker wants 50% of its sales to be battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) by the middle of this decade before they themselves become a fully electric brand by 2030.
In terms of actual models, one of Volvo’s biggest upcoming novelties will be the direct replacement to the XC90 premium SUV. Styling-wise, it could look more like a giant station wagon rather than a sports utility vehicle, and its name might start with a vowel. Regardless of what they’re going to call it, the XC90’s successor will still offer seating for seven, to go with Level 4 autonomy, once the software is ready.
“Our partnership with Northvolt secures the supply of high-quality, sustainably-produced batteries for the next generation of pure electric Volvos,” said Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson. “It will strengthen our core competencies and our position in the transformation to a fully electric car company.”
The focus of this partnership between the Swedish carmaker and Northvolt is to develop tailor-made batteries allowing for increased range and quicker charging times. As for the joint battery plant, it will have a potential annual capacity of up to 50 gigawatt hours (GWh), meaning it should supply batteries for roughly 500,000 cars per year. Construction will kick off in 2023, with large scale production in 2026.
Securing its battery cell needs is a big part of Volvo’s ambitious electrification plan. The carmaker wants 50% of its sales to be battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) by the middle of this decade before they themselves become a fully electric brand by 2030.
In terms of actual models, one of Volvo’s biggest upcoming novelties will be the direct replacement to the XC90 premium SUV. Styling-wise, it could look more like a giant station wagon rather than a sports utility vehicle, and its name might start with a vowel. Regardless of what they’re going to call it, the XC90’s successor will still offer seating for seven, to go with Level 4 autonomy, once the software is ready.
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