Jaguar Land Rover and battery supplier Envision AESC are in talks to supply cells for electric Range Rover and Land Rover models, the Financial Times has reported.
The potential partnership could lead to the construction of a new gigafactory in the UK, which is JLR’s preferred location, but sites in Spain and Hungary are also being considered.
Envision AESC, which started as a Japanese joint venture between NEC and Nissan in 2007 before becoming part of Chinese battery conglomerate Envision in 2018, is currently investing £450 million in a separate battery gigafactory in Sunderland.
However, the deal being discussed is said to be so big that JLR will need its own drum set-up. The company plans to put six electric models on the road by 2025, but will still use its Solihull factory as its main hub for manufacturing electric vehicles.
JLR remains tight-lipped about any potential deal. “We are exploring all options at the moment. No decision has been made,” the firm said, declining to comment further.
Envision, meanwhile, said it is in regular contact with a number of automakers, but would not comment on private discussions.
The company recently agreed to supply batteries for Mercedes-Benz’s Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama starting in 2025. The batteries will be used to power vehicles such as the EQS SUV, EQE SUV and Mercedes-Maybach SUV.
JLR will need a major battery supplier. Jaguar plans to go all-electric from 2025. Land Rover is expected to launch the all-electric Range Rover in 2024.
The company aims to offer an electric powertrain option on every model by the end of the decade, aiming to achieve a 60% electric vehicle sales mix by then.
JLR has also drawn up plans to build the next-generation Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport on an all-new EV-focused platform.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-25 16:03:39
