BorgWarner to assemble Akasol battery systems in Brazil
US automotive supplier BorgWarner has announced a new production facility for the manufacture of battery systems in Brazil. The Piracicaba facility is expected to be phased in and begin manufacturing in the first quarter of 2023.
In Piracicaba, BorgWarner will produce the AKASystem AKM CYC battery system following the acquisition of German battery system manufacturer Akasol. These battery packs are modular and scalable so that they can be adapted to the needs of different vehicle applications.
BorgWarner does not provide further details on the location in the announcement. However, one of the supplier’s three Brazilian plants is located in Piracicaba. The battery assembly is therefore likely to be located on the existing site, which also explains the unusually short period of time until the planned start of operations for such announcements.
There is also no further information on the production itself – apart from the start of production in Q1 2023 and the fact that it is to be the AKA system AKM CYC. How many battery modules are to be built there is just as unclear as the origin of the battery cells.
The graphic that BorgWarner published in connection with the announcement is the third battery system generation that Akasol presented in November 2021. At that time, a nominal energy content of 98 kWh was stated for the AKASystem 9 AKM 150 CYC variant, whereby several of these modules can be combined depending on the vehicle requirements. In the AKASystem 9 AKM 150 CYC, the round cells in the 21700 format are actively cooled with a water-glycol mixture.
“We are excited about the demand and market potential for these products and the opportunity to offer our customers a high quality, flexible portfolio of electrified solutions,” says Henk Vanthournout, Vice President and General Manager Global Battery Systems. “This facility will produce innovative, global, and cutting-edge electric vehicle components.”
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