Volkswagen Power Day: Technology Roadmap for Batteries & Charging up to 2030
This week, Volkswagen Group used its very first Power Day to present its technology roadmap for batteries and charging up to 2030.
The main goal of the roadmap is to significantly reduce the complexity and cost of batteries, therefore making the option of electric driving more appealing and accessible to as many people as possible. The Group is also in the process of securing the supply of battery cells beyond 2025, with six gigafactories in Europe planned by the end of the decade. Furthermore, Volkswagen are aiming to expand the global fast-charging network.
“E-mobility has become core business for us. We are now systematically integrating additional stages in the value chain. We secure a long-term pole position in the race for the best battery and best customer experience in the age of zero emission mobility.”
- Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of the VW Group
The six new European production factories are expected to produce cells with a total energy value of 240 GWh per year, helping to contribute to the European Union’s Green Deal targets. The first two factories will operate in the Swedish cities of Skelleftea and Salzgitter. Other sites and partners are currently being considered for the other factories.
A new unified cell, advances in the battery system and components as well as innovative production methods will eventually reduce costs significantly for customers. The unified cell is set to be launched from 2023 and aims to be in 80 percent of electric vehicles in the Group by 2030. Battery costs will gradually reduce in the entry-level segment by up to 50 percent, and volume segment by 30 percent.
“We aim to reduce the cost and complexity of the battery and at the same time increase its range and performance. On average, we will drive down the cost of battery systems to significantly below €100 per kilowatt hour. This will finally make e-mobility affordable and the dominant drive technology.”
- Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology
Volkswagen’s battery improvements will be accompanied by a large-scale expansion of the fast-charging network around the world. The company intends to operate around 18,000 public fast-charging points in Europe by 2025, investing €400 million in the European programme as a whole. The expansion will also occur in the US and China, with Electrify America planning 3,500 points in North America by the end of 2021. In China, 17,000 is the target by 2025.
In the future, Volkswagen is also aiming to integrate electric cars in private, commercial and public energy systems, allowing green electricity from the solar energy system to be stored vehicles and fed back to the home network if needed. This will save customers money, reduce CO2 emissions and allow customers to be more independent of the public power grid.
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