Volkswagen Group China and Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) have signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will strengthen the ties between the two companies for deeper electric vehicle (EV) battery research and development (R&D).
The partnership between the German automotive giant and the largest Chinese automotive lithium-ion battery maker will encompass areas of lithium battery R&D for new energy vehicles (NEV), new materials, as well as parts development, to jointly develop technologically advanced and cost-competitive battery concepts and products.
In the future, the two companies will also cooperate in other areas of EV battery technology such as battery recycling, battery swapping, vehicle-to-grid (V2G), carbon emission reduction, and raw material supply transparency, CATL said in a statement.
With the new strategic cooperation, Volkswagen Group China will be able to better capitalise on market opportunities in the country, develop their battery strategy, and provide Chinese buyers with quality and cost-effective new energy (NEV) products, the carmaker added.
The Volkswagen-CATL partnership runs deep; the two companies have collaborated in various areas since 2014. In 2021, CATL received the Volkswagen battery cell test lab certification, making it the first battery manufacturer in the world to do so. In turn, CATL also helped Volkswagen improve their EV technology and testing standards.
As the world’s biggest EV battery supplier, CATL also supplies its technology to other customers aside from Volkswagen. The Chinese battery manufacturer also finds customers in Tesla, BMW, Nio, XPeng, Geely, Mercedes-Benz, and other car brands to supply its battery packs to.
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Case in point, the Perodua eMO-II concept unveiled at the Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show 2024 (KLIMS 2024) was also announced to be using battery packs sourced from CATL.
Official specs are to be speculated as of now, but the Malaysia carmaker is looking at a target specification of 160 hp (120 kWh) and 200 Nm of torque. The eMO-II should also be getting a targeted 400 km EV range from a 50 kWh to 60 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.
READ: Perodua eMO-II concept unveiled at KLIMS 2024 – functional prototype with CATL-sourced battery!
