- The Saarland becomes major battery location
- Money football collapses
- Daimler Trucks and CATL intensify cooperation
- Investigation after deaths at marathon
- More and more millionaires
- Beijing’s population is growing and getting old
- Rhenus opens axle plant in Shenyang
- Opinion: dialogue on the precipice
Car manufacturers worldwide see electromobility as the future, which is why batteries are becoming a crucial component for the entire industry. It is, therefore, fitting that Germany is currently evolving into an extremely popular location for battery production. Two Chinese manufacturers have chosen Germany as an investment location. After CATL in Thuringia, SVOLT now wants to produce EV batteries in Saarland. Marcel Grzanna analyses what Germany – and Saarland in particular – has to offer the large Chinese manufacturer.
That China and Germany can go well together in the field of e-mobility is also shown by the news that Daimler Truck AG and battery manufacturer CATL are further expanding their cooperation. Initially, CATL is to supply the lithium-ion batteries for the all-electric Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul. But both companies agreed on a much more far-reaching cooperation.
Meanwhile, our Feature on the financial situation of Chinese football shows what is possible in China when the president wishes for something. Billions have been invested, players and coaches from all over the world have been lured to the People’s Republic, and entire clubs have been bought – money is not an issue. A wild hustle and bustle developed around Chinese football, in which a goal sometimes costs a measly €10 million. But at the start of the new season, the results are disastrous. Even the reigning champions no longer exist. Now China’s rulers are intervening.
A truly terrible report reached us from Gansu. There, 21 runners lost their lives during an ultra marathon. Shortly after the start, the participants were surprised by a violent drop in temperature, hail, freezing rain, and strong winds. On Monday, authorities launched an investigation. The accusation: The organizers allegedly ignored warnings about the change in weather.
Michael Radunski
Feature
SVOLT builds batteries for EVs in Saarland
Hard to believe, but Germany is slowly but surely turning into a popular location for battery production for EVs. Daimler has started manufacturing its own high-performance battery systems at its traditional Hedelfingen plant, Volkswagen is investing in the production of future-proof solid-state batteries in Salzgitter, Porsche wants to build a battery factory for high-performance cells in Tuebingen, and Opel parent Stellantis plans to produce in Kaiserslautern in the future.
For no less than two Chinese companies, the prospect of local self-sufficiency for German carmakers is apparently no obstacle to realizing big plans in this country. After CATL in Thuringia, another major producer from the People’s Republic, SVOLT in Saarland, wants to invest billions in its expansion in Europe. There is talk of up to €2 billion in Saarland, while CATL is expected to invest around €1.8 billion. “We see some very innovative companies in Europe, but we don‘t see them as competitors; we see them as market companions,” says SVOLT’s Head of Europe Kai-Uwe Wollenhaupt in an interview with China.Table. “Healthy competition is important to drive innovation in range, fast-charging capability, sustainability and safety.”
But competition is also why the price of batteries is falling continuously. A few years ago, car manufacturers were still paying several hundred euros per kilowatt-hour of power; today it is only around €100. The trend: a continued fall. “We assume that in 2025 there will be cost parity between the conventional combustion engine and battery EVs without carbon emissions – at €65 per kilowatt-hour,” says Wollenhaupt. That sounds like a declaration of war for an already fiercely competitive market.
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