The number of new electric models available on the market has since risen to 175 in 2020 compared to 50 in 2018, with all experts in agreement that the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market is set to explode over the new few years. This market explosion is mainly due to the followings factors :
A growing demand
Battery-cell manufacturing needed for the southern Europe market
- Implementation of strict regulation on CO2/km emissions by the European Commission
- Total cost of owning an electric car is about to become cheaper than the total cost of owning a petrol car, largely owed to more affordable batteries.
- Adoption of the types of vehicle will rise as users share their experience (as was the case on the SUV market)
Against this backdrop, projects to build battery-cell gigafactories are thriving in Europe. For the southern European market (France, Italy and Spain), a dynamic market assumption based specifically on the gradual ban of petrol-car sales, puts the electric market share at 60% by 2030, representing 170 GWh for this region alone. Yet, only one project using disruptive technology has emerged in the sub-region at this stage. Therefore, there is room for other capacity-generating projects.
France, the ideal geographic position to address this need
- Robust battery-cell manufacturing ecosystem
- Already developed pilot line for R&D by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)
- Numerous initiatives are in progress
- Relatively cheap and carbon-free electricity
- Centrally located in Europe
- Highly-qualified workforce
Our solution
An agile, skilled and experienced
team working in fast-follower
mode
Verkor : For a clean, local, technological future in tune with societal aspirations
Verkor, a French industrial company, is set to amplify battery cell production in Europe, with the support of EIT InnoEnergy, Schneider Electric and the GROUPE IDEC. The new venture will accelerate the production capacity of low-carbon batteries in southern Europe to meet growing demand for electric vehicles and stationary storage. Production in Verkor’s first Gigafactory is scheduled to begin in 2023, with a capacity of 16 GWh of battery cells which will increase to 50 GWh in line with market dynamics. The facility will require an initial investment of €1.6bn and will create more than 2,000 direct jobs while supporting thousands more in its supply chain and ecosystem. The search for 200+ hectares of land is already underway.
