Chery and Gotion expand battery partnership

The Chinese battery cell manufacturer and Volkswagen partner Gotion High-Tech and the Chinese car manufacturer Chery are intensifying their partnership. Their strategic cooperation is now to extend to the commercial vehicle sector for the first time.

Gotion is to supply its batteries, including third-generation battery cells, for further Chery passenger car models – and for the first time also for commercial vehicles such as buses, heavy-duty trucks and logistics vehicles. According to a media report, Hefei Gotion, a subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech, will act as the main supplier under the agreement and actively participate in the project development. The two companies, which are based in the Chinese province of Anhui, have been working together since 2012 and intend to deepen this cooperation in the areas of battery platforms, cell consistency, safety and big data. The expanded partnership will also focus on business models for new areas such as electric ferries and stationary battery storage. The cooperation is also to be extended to countries outside China.

Gotion High-Tech is one of China’s largest battery cell manufacturers – and has recently set its sights on the European market. In September last year, the company launched the production of lithium-ion batteries for the automotive industry in Göttingen. The company also wants to expand the production of battery storage systems for wind and solar energy storage projects. The manufacturer (25.6 per cent of the shares belong to Volkswagen) specializes in LFP cells. The company is on course for growth and has put numerous battery factories into operation or announced their construction – so far, however, primarily in China. Gotion aims to reach a global production capacity of 300 GWh by 2025.

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