Battery manufacturer cancels investments in Italy and Germany - ACC and Stellantis no longer plan to open gigafactories
European car battery company Automotive Cells is suspending plans to build battery gigafactories in Italy and Germany, the Italian metalworkers' union UILM said on Saturday. "ACC management confirmed to us this morning what we have long feared: that ACC's plan to build a gigafactory in Termoli has been definitively suspended, as has happened in Germany," the union said in a statement.
ACC, which is backed by automotive giant Stellantis, said it was considering shutting down the projects, which have been on hold since 2024 due to slower-than-expected growth in electric vehicles.
ACC's new locations were among dozens of battery projects emerging in Europe as it seeks to reduce dependence on Chinese manufacturers that dominate the market, but were halted as the company considered switching to less expensive battery technology.
The company was in talks with unions on "modalities for a possible closure of the Gigafactory projects in Kaiserslautern and Termoli."
ACC is a partnership between French energy giant TotalEnergies, German carmaker Mercedes-Benz and US-European carmaker Stellantis, which produces a range of brands including Peugeot, Fiat and Chrysler. Stellantis, Europe's second-largest carmaker, warned on Friday it would take a 22 billion euro hit after slower-than-expected growth in electric vehicles.
The admission of a "significant overestimation" of demand for electric vehicles comes at a time when authorities in the US and Europe have eased strict emissions targets after years of searching for cleaner vehicles.
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