Dräxlmaier opens high voltage battery assembly in Leipzig

The German automotive supplier Dräxlmaier has opened its new plant for the production of high-voltage battery systems in Leipzig. The 800-volt battery systems for the all-electric Porsche Macan, which will roll off the production line at Porsche Leipzig, will be manufactured there.

With the opening of the Leipzig plant, Dräxlmaier expanded its production network in Germany to a total of three battery plants. Existing locations are Landau an der Isar and Sachsenheim near Stuttgart. The opening in Leipzig was significantly delayed. The Bavarian supplier had already celebrated the topping-out ceremony in October 2020. At that time, it was still said that the assembly of the battery systems in the 28,000 square metre hall not far from the Porsche plant in the north of Leipzig would begin in July 2021.

The delay in the start-up of battery assembly largely corresponds to the delay with which Porsche’s E-Macan is also coming onto the market. Porsche’s 800-volt electric car, originally planned for 2022 and based on the new PPE electric platform, will not go on sale until 2024, as is well known – due to delays in the software. It is known that the battery will have a total capacity of around 100 kWh and will consist of twelve modules with prismatic cells. The mixing ratio of nickel, cobalt and manganese in the cells is 8:1:1.

Dräxlmaier’s company announcement on the inauguration of the plant makes no mention of the delay. There is also no information about the output or the investment volume. In his speech, Vice-Chairman and CEO Stefan Brandl merely stated that the Dräxlmaier Group was focusing on innovative technological solutions for the mobility of tomorrow. “In addition to numerous other innovations related to the electrification of the powertrain, we manufacture battery systems for sophisticated premium vehicles – a key component of electromobility. The Leipzig site is therefore an important pillar in our production network.”

Dräxlmaier is one of the pioneers in the battery system sector. As early as 2009, the automotive supplier headquartered in Vilsbiburg, Bavaria, set up a corresponding business unit. “In our new plant, we are consistently implementing the principle of Industry 4.0. Thanks to highly automated production, a high-performance 800-volt battery system is created here in Leipzig under the highest quality standards,” emphasises CEO Jan Reblin, who followed in Franz Haslinger’s footsteps in this position just under a year ago.

The close relationship with Porsche has existed for some time. The Bavarian company is already producing the battery system for the Porsche Taycan and delivering it ready for installation to the Porsche plant in Zuffenhausen. The same is now planned for the production of the E-Macan in Leipzig. Independently of this, the supplier has already been active in Leipzig since 2004: the existing production plant manufactures interior systems and wiring systems for Porsche.

draexlmaier.com (in German)