–
Car manufacturer Porsche is setting up a joint venture with the German Customcells for the production of fast-charging batteries. CEO Oliver Blume aims for a loading time of less than fifteen minutes.
–
The new batteries that Customcells and Porsche will produce together must have a higher energy density, which means that they need to charge less than the batteries that are currently being used, Porsche reports.
–
In an interview with the Welt am Sonntag, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume speaks of a loading time of less than 15 minutes. By comparison, the Taycan, Porsche’s all-electric model, now takes 22.5 minutes to charge a battery from 5 to 80 percent, Blume says.
–
–
The intention is to start small-scale production in 2024. Initially, the target is a production capacity of 100 kilowatt hours, good for batteries for 1,000 cars per year. The new factory would be located in Tübingen in the south of Germany, at Customcells.
–
Blume already said in April that he wants to further increase the electrification of the supply by building battery cells himself. For the Taycan, Porsche is now relying on batteries from South Korean LG Chem. Parent group Volkswagen has also announced plans for its own battery production in Europe.
–
Many European carmakers are looking to reduce their dependence on Asian batteries as they invest more in the electric models. New technology should make it possible to charge faster. But ways are also being sought to use the raw materials of batteries more efficiently: achieving the same range with fewer materials could mean a serious cost reduction. This should help to make electric cars more affordable.
–
For Porsche, the new joint venture will play an important role in ‘research, development, production and sales’ of new battery technology, it said in a statement on Sunday. The new developments will be tested in motorsport.
–
It is not known how much Porsche is investing in the new company, which will be called Cellforce Group. It would be a few tens of millions to 100 million. Porsche will hold an 83.75 percent stake, the rest will be in the hands of partner Customcells.
–
Customcells was founded in 2012 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology and is one of the major global players in lithium-ion battery technology. The company employs about 100 people. Customcells claims to supply products for six of the world’s ten largest car manufacturers.
–
–
