VW, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Gigafactory, Chemchina, Tesla, Victory RR.

VW battery factory? The Volkswagen Group is considering building their own battery factory in the same vein as the Gigafactory. The project could cost up to 10bn dollars and reduce reliance on external suppliers. VW has not yet commented on the speculation, but they may be looking at the city of Salzgitter. The head of IG Metall Peine Salzgitter suggests existing buildings may be used in the project.
insidedevs.com, derwesten.de, handelsblatt.de (in German)

Mitsubishi-Nissan venture: Mitsubishi and Nissan want to jointly develop the successor of Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV. The car could launch as early as 2018, under both Mitsubishi and Nissan brand names. Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn also alluded to further cooperation in vehicle platforms and electric vehicle technologies.
the-japan-news.com, autonews.com

Gigafactory opens doors: Tesla’s battery plant will celebrate its grand opening on July 29th. All Model S owners who referred five or more sales during the EV maker’s second referral programme from October and December last year, received an invitation.
electrek.co

Chemchina eyes SGL Carbon: According to Manager Magazine, Chinese Chemchina is looking to take over German company SGL Carbon, which has worked with BMW on building the i3 and i8. SGL has been battling financial difficulties for a while now and also sent out information package to other companies to receive tentative offers. Share prices for SGL rose on Friday, following information about a possible takeover.
manager-magazin.de, automobilwoche.de (in German)

Spain loves Tesla: The local government of Paterna, near Valencia, Spain, has penned an opened letter to Tesla, nominating their town as a candidate for the location of Tesla’s European factory. The group even made a brief promotional video under the catchphrase “Spain Loves Tesla” to grab the carmaker’s attention.
electrek.co (with video)

Victory RR racing: Victory Motorcycles has entered the Isle of Man TT Zero race with William Dunlop confirmed as the driver. The electric Victory RR was developed using data gathered at last year’s TT Zero, where the company’s Empulse RR bike placed third. The race is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8th.
insidedevs.com