Carmakers, TotalEnergies build battery plant for EVs in France

The first factory in France for the production of batteries for electric vehicles has been built in Lens (Pas de Calais department), according to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Report informs referring to TASS.

The factory belongs to the Automotive Cell Company (ACC), a joint venture between the oil and gas concern TotalEnergies, the French-Italian-American auto giant Stellantis and the German automaker Mercedes-Benz. The start of production is scheduled for June 30. By 2030, ACC plans to produce 800,000 batteries annually and create an additional 2,000 jobs.

The opening of the plant will help reduce dependence on Chinese imports, and by the end of the decade will allow batteries to be exported, according to experts. This is the first of the so-called four gigafactories that will appear in the region before 2030 in accordance with the course announced by President Emmanuel Macron to reindustrialize the country.

France is at a disadvantage due to high energy prices compared to China and the US, AFP noted. Another serious problem in this area was the shortage of non-ferrous metals, including nickel, cobalt or manganese, which have to be imported from China.