The Year Ahead
Asian Battery Makers Seize Expansion Opportunity in Europe, U.S.
No. 1 producer CATL opens a plant in Germany, while LG Energy Solution expands in Poland and builds a factory with GM in Ohio.
Photo illustration: 731: Photo: Alamy
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In the Middle Ages, the city of Erfurt in central Germany was a key stop on a trading route linking the far-flung ends of Europe. It’s about to take on a crucial new role as home to one of the world’s largest battery makers.
China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the top global supplier of lithium-ion batteries for cars, storage systems, and power grids, will begin production at a factory outside Erfurt, later in 2021. It’s the first foreign plant for billionaire Zeng Yuqun’s decade-old business.