The collaboration between the PSA Group (Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel) and Saft, part of the energy giant Total, approved in February this year, will soon begin construction of the company’s battery plant in Douvrin, in northern France.
From 2023, the factory will be able to supply models based on the brand's new generation of electric floorboards - the first Peugeot e-3008 recreational vehicle - with locally made batteries. These energy storage units are being developed and scaled specifically for the brand new eVMP floorboard based on the current EMP2 platform by a company called Automotive Cell Company (ACC).
The company will first set up a pilot production line in Nersac (south of Saft’s current production base) in south-western France to develop production technology for the new generation of batteries. This will then be applied at the Douvrin plant from 2023; the initial annual production capacity will be 8 GWh, which the company intends to triple in the short term. According to the plans, the modular eVMP floor plate can accommodate battery packs with a capacity of 60-100 kWh, which means that enough battery packs for an order of 300,000 electric cars can be made here every year.
Although ACC can be considered a semi-in-house supplier, it must meet the same stringent conditions as the Chinese (BYD or, more recently, Great Wall) battery manufacturers currently serving Peugeot and its co-brands.
(Source: vezess.hu / photo: pexels.com)