Stellantis inaugurates ACC battery gigafactory in Billy-Berclau Douvrin, France

Stellantis, in collaboration with TotalEnergies and Mercedes-Benz, celebrated the inauguration of Automotive Cells Company’s (ACC) battery gigafactory in Billy-Berclau Douvrin, France.

This marks the first of three planned battery gigafactories in Europe and represents a significant step towards advancing electric vehicle (EV) technology.

The newly inaugurated ACC battery gigafactory boasts an initial production line capacity of 13 gigawatt-hours (GWh), which is expected to increase to 40GWh by 2030. The primary focus of the gigafactory is to manufacture high-performance lithium-ion batteries with a minimal carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint.

The first production unit at the ACC battery gigafactory is set to become operational before the end of 2023.

This battery gigafactory is a key contributor to Stellantis’ ambitious goal of expanding its battery manufacturing capacity to 250 GWh in Europe by 2030.

Stellantis, TotalEnergies, and Mercedes-Benz inaugurate battery gigafactory in France to drive electric vehicle revolution. Photo courtesy of Stellantis NV.

The company aims to provide a comprehensive range of battery technologies that cater to the diverse needs of its customers across the entire Stellantis brand portfolio. Stellantis plans to secure approximately 400 GWh of battery capacity by 2030, with the support of five gigafactories in Europe and North America, as well as additional supply contracts.

The Dutch automobile company currently has 24 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the market and intends to almost double that number to 47 by the end of 2024. The company has set a global target of having over 75 BEVs and achieving global BEV sales of 5 million units by 2030. Stellantis’ electric vehicles, such as the Peugeot e-208 and Fiat New 500, are already among the best-selling EVs in France and the top 10 in Europe.

In line with its commitment to explore cutting-edge battery technologies, Stellantis is actively researching innovative solutions such as Factorial’s solid-state battery technology and Lyten’s lithium-sulfur batteries. These advancements hold the potential to enhance vehicle performance and customer experience, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and efficient EV landscape.

Beyond battery production, Stellantis, ACC, the Union of Metallurgies Industries, the state, and the region are collaborating to establish the Battery Training Center of Douvrin. This initiative is part of an upskilling and reskilling program aimed at equipping Stellantis employees with the necessary skills for battery manufacturing. Through a comprehensive 400-hour course, at least 600 employees will be trained by 2025, supporting the Hauts-de-France region’s competitiveness in the crucial field of electrification.

As part of its Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, Stellantis has announced ambitious goals for the sales mix of battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The company aims to achieve 100% BEV sales in the passenger car segment in Europe and 50% BEV sales in the passenger car and light-duty truck segment in the United States by 2030. Stellantis is also committed to becoming a carbon net-zero corporation, covering all scopes, by 2038, with single-digit percentage compensation for any remaining emissions.

Carlos Tavares — Stellantis CEO said: “At the outset of this partnership in 2020, we agreed to an ambitious global timeline to develop electric vehicle batteries that would power our plan to electrify mobility.

“As we execute our Dare Forward 2030 strategy and now move to hit our ambitious target of achieving carbon net zero by 2038, Stellantis is actively contributing to the European electrification transition with state-of-the-art EV solutions and supporting France’s crucial role in a sustainable future.”