Nissan is acquiring stakes in Vehicle Energy Japan
Nissan is acquiring a stake in battery manufacturer Vehicle Energy Japan. Following the transaction, the company will become a subsidiary of Nissan, in which existing shareholders Maxell and Hitachi Astemo will also have a stake.
Nissan will acquire all the ordinary shares held by INCJ and says it has reached a corresponding agreement. The acquisition of Vehicle Energy Japan will add a significant battery leg to the company’s vehicle strategy.
Vehicle Energy Japan develops, manufactures and sells battery cells, modules and management systems for hybrid vehicles. With Nissan’s equity investment, Vehicle Energy aims to strengthen business fundamentals, maximize the performance and characteristics of automotive batteries, and work to further expand and accelerate its business, according to the press release.
In April this year, Nissan also unveiled a prototype solid-state battery production facility to set up a pilot production line by 2024. The Japanese company is hoping to go serial and manufacture all solid-state batteries for their vehicles by 2028, which is an ambitious schedule considering the state of the technology. “The knowledge gained from our experience supports the development of all-solid-state batteries, and we’ve accumulated important elemental technologies,” said Kunio Nakaguro, executive vice president for research and development at the time.
Nissan plans to introduce 23 new electrified models, including 15 all-electric models, by the end of this decade as part of its Ambition 2030 strategic plan. The company recently unveiled the fourth-generation X-Trail model for the European market.
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