CATL begins EV battery production in Germany

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has begun the first overseas electric vehicle (EV) battery production in Germany. 

Located in Thuringia, the facility owned by the Contemporary Amperex Technology Thuringia GmbH (CATT) is the first battery production plant outside China. The plant, which began production of battery modules in 2021, received the green light from the German authorities to begin battery manufacturing in April. 

Currently, at 8 GWh capacity per year, the facility is expected to reach 14 GWh capacity annually and employ 2,000 people. CATL's next destination in Europe will be Hungary, where a €1.8 bn investment has kicked off to build a factory with an annual 100 GWh capacity. 

CATT is supported by the BMW Group, one of the giants CATL want to be nearby in Germany. CATL will provide technology to several German automakers in future, including the BMW Group, which decided to switch to cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells by 2025.