A Chinese maker of batteries for electric cars reportedly is setting up a sales office in Germany and talking to automakers there.
Reuters, citing unnamed sources, said Tianjin Lishen Battery's planned sales would be its first in Europe, and Volkswagen and Daimler are negotiating with the potential supplier.
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A source "close to Volkswagen" told the news agency the automaker was in "advanced talks" with Tianjin Lishen on lithium-ion battery supply contracts though deals have not yet been inked.
No one from any party was either available or would talk to Reuters on the subject.
A separate source at Tianjin Lishen Battery told the news agency automakers were looking at buying EV batteries from multiple sources to diversify supply chains.
That same source said any new office would be located near VW HQ in Wolfsburg.
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By GlobalData"We are considering setting up an office in Germany. It will be a sales office not a factory," the source said.
"We are negotiating with VW and Daimler. We have sent samples to these carmakers and are waiting for the next stage – mass production."
