Asian companies invade Europe The establishment of an “EV hub” in France was pinned on the main factor that made this Taiwanese company invest in France and overcome support measures. This is due to its experience as a manufacturer of “solid-state” batteries for small devices.
Asian companies invade Europe The establishment of an “EV hub” in France was pinned on the main factor that made this Taiwanese company invest in France and overcome support measures. This is due to its experience as a manufacturer of “solid-state” batteries for small devices.
The investment trend in the electric vehicle industry is not limited to China only. Not only is it the world’s No. 1 producer and exporter of EVs but it’s also hot on the “European” side, which is vying to be the EV powerhouse in the region. The latest focus is on Dunkirk, one of Europe’s potential EV battery hubs.
The interesting thing is this is an opportunity for Asian EV companies to invest in large EV supply chains in Europe. With Europe opening up to huge investments in electric cars and competing internally to attract foreign investments.
The most recent example is the entry of Prologium, a Taiwanese manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries. It announced plans to invest €5.2 billion in May to build a large-capacity battery factory, or “Gigafactory”, in Dunkirk. Northern France
The deal received the green light from the European Commission, allowing the French government to “subsidize” the project with €1.5 billion, representing a victory for the French government in its quest to revitalize the industrial zone. This underscores Europe’s growing importance in the electric vehicle supply chain. The important thing is that it also reflects the urgency of Europe’s desire to reduce its dependence on supply chains from China, starting with electric vehicles. To the battery, various materials and equipment
“When the market is in Europe, the days of having to import batteries from Asia are over,” said Gilles Normand, president of Prologium Europe. Interview with Nikkei Asia
The main factor that made this Taiwanese company invest in France and overcome support measures. This is due to its experience as a manufacturer of “solid-state” batteries for small devices. This type of battery uses a solid electrolyte and is safer than lithium-ion batteries. Because the chance of catching fire is low. High stability Store more energy and charge faster
The company chose France as the base for its first large-scale investment expansion outside Taiwan. Which for foreign companies, “investment support measures” are considered one of the important conditions that attract companies very well.
Comprehensive European policy aims to support electric vehicles The European Union (EU) has announced that it will stop selling new combustion vehicles that use gasoline power in 2035, prompting EU member states to push policies to support electric vehicles in terms of use and investment. Or it means that in addition to Europe having an EV-friendly policy, member states are also competing to attract EV investments to their countries.
Europe is the second largest market for electric vehicles in the world after China. But it is likely to grow significantly over the next 10 years, with International Energy Agency (IEA) data suggesting that by 2022, electric vehicle sales in Europe will account for 25% and will account for 25% of vehicle use. About 30% of global electric car sales, while electric car sales in the United States still represent only 10%.
But the key point in electric cars is not only the production of electric cars, but also the “batteries”, of which China currently dominates the market in terms of electric car batteries and the rare earth metals used in their production, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel. , while the United States also attracts large-scale production investments. Gigafactory is led by the Tesla camp and laws have been passed to attract green investments such as IRAs. This is prompting Europe to quickly adjust its policies in order to compete for investment capital and reduce dependence on the Chinese market.
The city of Dunkirk in northern France, which is located on the border with Belgium, is the original supply chain for car production. It is one of the cities that France is trying to push to become a European hub for electric cars. Prologium’s latest investment is to supply France with four giga-sized EV battery production facilities:
Prologium from Taiwan plans to invest in a solid-state battery production plant with a production capacity of 48 GWh. In the city of Dunkirk, construction is scheduled to begin by the end of 2026, and is expected to create more than 3,000 direct jobs and more than 12,000 indirect jobs.
Verkor, a French startup and there are plans to open a 12 GWh production plant in Dunkirk. Specifically to support Renault EV vehicles.
The Automotive Sales Company (ACC) is a joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes Benz and Total Energy. There are plans to build three factories in Dauphiné. With a value of more than 7 billion euros, with a total production capacity of 40 gigawatt hours by 2030. The first plant was opened on May 30, and production will begin in the second half of this year.
Chinese company Envision plans to invest two billion euros to build a factory in Douai. It is near the Renault Electric Vehicle Center and has a production capacity of 9 GWh in 2024 and aims to increase it to 24 GWh by 2030.
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