Porsche has canceled its plans to establish a battery cell factory in Brandenburg, Germany, dealing a significant blow to Germany’s green energy ambitions. The surprising decision has left many in shock and has far-reaching implications for the country’s goals to become a hub for battery production. Here are the full details of this disappointing development…
Porsche Abandons Battery Factory Plans in Germany
Just two weeks ago, Porsche gave the green light to produce the fully electric Macan model in Leipzig. However, the German automaker has unexpectedly decided to halt its plans to build its own battery production facility in Brandenburg. The company’s Supervisory Board intends to shelve this project at the annual general meeting on June 7. The reasons cited include economic difficulties in China and weak demand for electric vehicles in Germany.
Porsche had established a battery subsidiary named Cellforce about three years ago and was constructing a pilot plant near Reutlingen. However, this facility’s capacity may be limited to 1.3 gigawatt-hours. Plans for a significant expansion in Schwarzheide, Brandenburg, with potential capacity exceeding 20 gigawatt-hours, have also been scrapped.
The cancellation of this project is another setback for Germany. Earlier this week, Chinese battery manufacturer Svolt canceled plans to build a battery factory in Lauchhammer. Additionally, Rock Tech failed to secure federal funding for a planned lithium converter in Guben.
These successive setbacks have crushed Germany’s dreams of becoming a battery production powerhouse. Porsche’s decision severely undermines the country’s green energy transition goals and its competitiveness in the electric vehicle market.
This decision is a shocking reality for Germans: Porsche has put its dreams of establishing a battery factory in Germany on hold. We will see in the long term how this decision impacts the industry. Share your thoughts and comments in the section below.
