Battery & Charging

The biggest cost in electric cars is the battery. Besides the price, the range and charging speed are also vital for the attractiveness and market success of e-mobility. This is where the new “unified cell” plays a central role. From 2023, one cell – rather than several different ones – will be used in up to 80% of the Group’s models. High economies of scale will reduce costs. This is why Volkswagen is making the battery its core business and takes the entire battery value creation into its own hand.

To satisfy the high demand for battery cells, Volkswagen will build six gigafactories in Europe alone, with a production capacity of 240 GWh. A newly founded European company will bring cell production from Salzgitter into large-scale production and will steer all activities along the value chain – from mining and material processing to development and production of the unified cell through to recycling.

In order to accelerate the market success of e-mobility, Volkswagen is investing in the development of an open fast-charging network worldwide like no other mobility company. By 2025, around 45,000 High Power Charging (HPC) points are planned in Europe, China and the USA together with partners. The product range also includes the entire range of charging solutions for private customers and companies – from the company's own wallbox and flexible fast charging station to charging services and innovative, smart green electricity tariffs. In the next step, Volkswagen will develop the EV as a mobile power bank and ensure that EVs become part of the energy system in the future and, for example, can use green electricity from the region for charging.