Volvo and Northvolt build battery factory in Sweden with a capacity of 50GWh

Volvo and Northvolt are going to build a battery factory in Gothenburg, Sweden, which should supply batteries in 2025. The batteries are specifically designed for Volvo and Polestar EVs. The factory can potentially make enough batteries for half a million cars.

Construction of the factory is to start in 2023, the two companies say. The plant could potentially have an annual capacity of 50GWh, supplying approximately 500,000 cars with batteries. The first batteries should leave the factory in 2025. Volvo and Northvolt say the focus will be on high-capacity, fast-charging batteries.

The factory will be located in Torslanda, in the municipality of Gothenburg, close to Volvo’s largest car factory. According to the companies, the factory has good access to infrastructure and renewable energy. The battery factory is part of Volvo’s strategy to sell only fully electric cars from 2030. The factory will use only fossil-free energy and will accommodate 3,000 employees. Adrian Clarke, former executive at Tesla and responsible for its German Gigafactory, among other things, will become manager of the factory.

Northvolt and Volvo have been working together for some time; for example, the two companies announced last December that they wanted to open a research center in Gothenburg. This center should start in 2022 and provide space for a hundred jobs. In December, the companies also announced that they wanted to build a battery factory in Europe together. Volvo considered building the battery factory in Ghent, but this fell through for an unknown reason.

Northvolt not only works with Volvo, but also with brands such as BMW, Scania and Volkswagen. At the end of last year, the company claimed to have made the first battery cell developed entirely in Europe. Northvolt is also working towards an annual capacity of 60GWh in the Ett factory where the European battery cell is made.

Northvolt’s own battery factory Ett in northern Sweden.