BEIJING, September 19 (TMTPost)— Gotion High-tech Co., Ltd., achieved a milestone of Made-in-Germany, highlighting China’s leading electric vehicle (EV) battery maker is ramping up overseas expansion.

Credit：Gotion

Gotion announced the first battery product has been rolled off the assembly line of Gotion Germany Battery GmbH, suggesting the first production line of the plant was put into mass production. Operation of the plant in Göttingen, a famous university town in central Germany, marks Gotion has its first battery production base in Europe, and Gotion became the second Chinese battery manufacturer to start local production in Germany as well as Europe following Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the No.1 EV batter maker in the world.

"Our Göttingen factory's production line is highly automated, with an overall automation level of nearly 70%, and close to 80% in the module assembly stage," said Ray Chen, Vice President of Gotion Global. Gotion now plans to have a production capacity of 20 gigawatt-hours (GWh) for the Göttingen factory in four phases, and the actual capacity is expected to reach 5 GWh by mid 2024, Steven Cai, Gotion's chief technology officer (CTO) introduced. The factory is estimated to generate an output value of EUR2 billion (US$2.1 billion) once it runs at the planned full capacity. A lot of orders have been received from European clients and the supply of batteries will start next month, said Peter Willemsen, chief operating officer of Gotion Global and managing director of Gotion Germany.

The event of Gotion’s first battery production in Germany also witnessed the battery maker’s  new partnership in Europe.Gotion signed cooperation agreements with internationally renowned companies such as BASF, ABB, Ebusco, and Ficosa. These five partners come from various aspects such as battery materials, product development, and the supply of automotive and energy storage products. Specifically, Gotion will further collaborate with BASF China on battery material-related projects. Gotion and ABB from Switzerland will work together on battery product supply and technology R&D, to support Gotion's new factories in Europe and the United States. Cooperation with Ebusco will focus on the development and production of energy storage battery systems and wind and solar energy storage projects. In addition, Gotion will cooperate with Ficosa and Idneo in intelligent mobile energy storage and charging vehicles, battery banking, battery recycling, BMS, and Big Data engineering.

Germany is homeland of Gotion’s largest shareholder Volkswagen. Earlier this month, Gotion just unveiled its new present in the United States. Gotion will locate its new state-of-the-art $2 billion EV lithium battery manufacturing plant in Manteno, a village Kankakee County in Illinois. The plant is expected to begin production in 2024 and create 2,600 jobs in the village in northeastern Illinois. Gotion’s gigafactory is the largest EV battery production investment in Illinois to date, and a testament to Illinois status as a leading destination for companies and investors who want the most talented workers, the best transportation systems, and a collaborative economic growth mindset from their partners in government at all levels, said the state governor JB Pritzker.

The facility, covering approximately 150 acres, will focus on lithium-ion battery cell, battery pack production, and energy storage system integration. Once completed, the facility is expected to produce 10 GWh of lithium-ion battery packs and 40 GWh of lithium-ion battery cells, which will strengthen the American EV battery supply chain. Gotion will receive a comprehensive incentive package, including the Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV) incentive agreement and its new Invest in Illiois Fund, for the plant. The Illinois state will grant an incentive package totaled $536 million to Gotion. Through REV, Gotion is eligible to receive tax benefits totaling $213 million over 30 years. The REV agreement specifies a minimum company investment of $1.9 billion and the creation of 2,600 full-time jobs that are paid at least 120% of the average wage of similar job classifications in Kankakee County.

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