Foxconn to build on Bolloré solid-state batteries by Blue Solutions

Taiwan's mass-scale manufacturer, Foxconn, has signed its next MoU with an e-mobility company. Blue Solutions by French Bolloré has agreed to join forces to develop solid-state batteries for two-wheelers with a specific market in mind.

The solid-state battery manufacturer and the Taiwanese contract manufacturer have agreed to combine their expertise, technologies and resources. Both have been working on solid-state technology for some time, with Blue Solutions now entering fourth-generation cells. According to the agreement, the French may now utilise battery materials from Foxconn subsidiary SolidEdge Solution.

In its statement, Foxconn, or Hon Hai, also mentions a solid-state battery “ecosystem” and called Blue Solutions’ GEN4 technology “exclusive”.

The French solid-state cell technology goes back to 2011. Some readers may remember Bolloré relying exclusively on batteries based on a lithium metal polymer (LMP) developed in-house, which claimed market maturity in 2012. The batteries are manufactured at the headquarters in France and Canada. It was also within the Bolloré Group that Blue Solutions’ solid-state batteries were initially used in car-sharing and the bus sector (BlueCar, BlueBus). Almost unnoticed by the industry, the external customer base has grown since then. Daimler was a key customer and Forsee Power expects to integrate new lithium-ion NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) in 2026. The Bolloré group claimed today, it has invested three billion euros in Blue Solutions and its activities, leading to more than three million cells being delivered to the market.

Back to Foxconn, which expects to use Blue Solutions’ Gen4 technology and SolidEdge Solution’s materials to equip two-wheeled vehicles to serve a specific target market, namely Indonesia, where the number of electric motorbikes is to be increased to 13 million by 2030.

Here, Foxconn already has a partner in Gogoro and the Indonesian government. When announcing the alliance in early 2021, the Taiwanese company also mentioned an ecosystem. According to Foxconn, the ecosystem shall comprise battery production, the development of two- and four-wheeled e-vehicles, and EV-supporting industries such as energy storage systems (ESS), battery exchange stations and battery recycling.

No mention of the agreement with Indonesia has been made today.

Foxconn also says that the batteries may be utilised in other electric vehicles in future.

Foxconn has agreed automotive partnerships, including with Stellantis and Infineon in recent months. The latest announcement in August 2023 sees the company target the Asian markets for small electric cars based on Foxconn’s own MIH platform for EVs.

For Blue Solutions, today’s MoU is” a key step in the strategy of forging strong partnerships to expand internationally,” said Richard Bouveret, President and CEO of the French company. “Foxconn represents a partner of choice to address together the future two-wheeler market in Asia and set up very ambitious targets for mobility.”

“Foxconn and Blue Solutions hope to accelerate the development of solid-state battery solutions that meet market demand and offer prime performance for our EV customers going forward to achieve the strategic goals of time-to-cost and time-to-market,” added Troy Wu, Head of battery strategy at Hon Hai Technology Group.

foxconn.com