To meet growing demand for its battery electric heavy duty trucks and machines, the Volvo Group has begun the process to establish a large scale battery cell factory in Sweden.
An extensive site study has been done which indicated the Skaraborg region in Sweden is ideal location for the plant, Volvo said.
The proposed site in Mariestad is close to the group’s current main powertrain plant in Skovde and would benefit from the region’s existing industrial and logistics infrastructure and build on a strong heritage of advanced, high-volume manufacturing while having access to Sweden’s rich supply of fossil free energy.
The R&D centres and Gothenburg headquarters are two hours away.
The group plans to gradually increase capacity and reach large scale series production by 2030. The battery cells will be designed specifically for commercial vehicle applications, supporting the global roll-out of electric trucks, buses, construction equipment and electric drivelines for different applications.
Establishment of the production site is subject to the usual approvals from relevant authorities. The final location will be decided after a public consultation and operations will also be subject to environmental permit approvals.
“By 2030, it is our ambition that at least 35% of the products we sell are electric. This ramp-up will require large volume of high performing batteries… and it is a logical next step for us to include battery production in our future industrial footprint. We aim to do this together with partners and the journey starts now,” said Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of the Volvo Group.
