Skoda’s dwelling nation, the Czech Republic, could be a super location for “at the least one” of six battery cell factories that Volkswagen Group intends to function in Europe by 2030, model CEO Thomas Schaefer mentioned.

Schaefer mentioned the nation’s geographic place in central Europe bordering different car-making international locations, entry to lithium and future demand for electrical Skodas would make a battery plant economically possible. 

“We want one at the least one gigafactory right here,” he mentioned at Skoda’s annual outcomes convention on Wednesday. “You possibly can’t import such important parts eternally from some place else; it’s essential additionally make them.” 

VW Group announced plans for the six factories at its Energy Day held earlier this month, however up to now solely the placement of two — Skelleftea, Sweden and Salzgitter, Germany – have been introduced. The Swedish plant, operated in partnership with Northvolt, will open in 2023 whereas Salzgitter will start operations in 2025.

A 3rd shall be in France, Spain or Portugal and would open by 2026, VW’s expertise and procurement chief, Thomas Schmall, mentioned in a press release, whereas Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are potential areas for a fourth manufacturing facility to open in 2027. “It relies on the place we get the very best set-up within the area,” Schmall mentioned.

The crops could have a manufacturing capability of 240 gigawatt hours per 12 months. The push will price $29 billion and would make VW and its companions the world’s second-largest cell producer after China’s Modern Amperex Expertise Co. Ltd., in accordance with BloombergNEF.

Schaefer mentioned that discussions to discover a web site for a cell manufacturing facility within the Czech Republic had began however had been nonetheless in an early part.

He mentioned he anticipated full-electric automobile would make up greater than 50 % of all Skoda gross sales in Europe by 2030. “Our core market goes to be the electrical automotive market,” he mentioned.

Skoda at the moment sells two full-electric autos: the Citigo e-iV electrical minicar and the Enyaq iV compact SUV, the primary automotive from the model constructed on the VW Group’s MEB platform. This 12 months Skoda will launch a coupe model of the Enyaq, and is working on a more affordable model on the identical platform to sit down beneath the Enyaq, Schaefer mentioned.  

The model can also be in line to develop a model of the VW Group small EV deliberate from 2025 and scheduled to be constructed by Seat

Seat has additionally made a strong pitch for a VW Group battery cell plant to be constructed close to its manufacturing facility in Martorell, Spain, with assist from group CEO Herbert Diess.

“Our plans are daring: Conversion of Martorell into a completely electrical automotive plant. Native cell manufacturing in Spain, build-up of infrastructure for quick charging and inexperienced power,” Diess wrote in a post on Linkedin in early March. Diess has not weighed in on Skoda’s request for a Czech battery manufacturing facility.