China: AESC builds 20 GWh battery cell plant

After the final take over by Envision Group of China earlier this month, the former Nissan battery subsidiary Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC), has begun the construction of its first battery factory in China.

The battery cell facility in Wuxi in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu will have an annual capacity of 20 GWh, enough for 400,000 electric cars per year. Nothing is known about the investment volume. The Envision Group currently has three sites in Japan, the USA and the UK with a total production capacity of 7.5 GWh per year.

As reported, AESC’s battery cells are also used in the new Nissan Leaf with a 62 kWh battery. This is one of the reasons why Nissan still holds 20 per cent of AESC after the sale of the division. However, the acquisition of further customers is in full swing. Among the clients for AESC battery cells and batteries is China’s Alfabus.

bloomberg.com, businesstimes.cn, globalbusinessoutlook.com