Automotive Cells Company (ACC), created by Stellantis and Total in 2020 and joined by Mercedes-Benz in 2021, will supply the Stellantis Group brands with batteries for their future electric vehicles. ACC has just inaugurated its first Gigafactory in Douvrin, in the north of France, which will begin mass production at the end of the year.
Stellantis, in partnership with TotalEnergies and Mercedes-Benz, inaugurated the Automotive Cells Company (ACC) battery gigafactory on 30 May at the Billy-Berclau/Douvrin site in France, the first of three gigafactories planned in Europe.
With an initial production capacity of 13 gigawatt hours (GWh), increasing to 40 GWh by 2030, the site will produce high-performance lithium-ion batteries with a minimal CO2 footprint. The first of the site's three European production units will be operational before the end of 2023.
This Gigafactory will contribute to Stellantis' goal of reaching 250 GWh of battery manufacturing capacity in Europe by 2030, and will allow the company to continue its mission of offering a full range of battery technologies to meet the diverse needs of its customers across its entire brand portfolio. Stellantis thus ensures the availability of approximately 400 GWh of capacity by 2030, guaranteed by five Gigafactories in Europe and North America and additional supply contracts.
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, said: "From the start of this partnership in 2020, we agreed on an ambitious global timeline to develop electric vehicle batteries capable of powering our electrification plan. As we implement our Dare Forward 2030 strategy and move closer to our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2038, Stellantis is actively contributing to Europe's electrification transition with cutting-edge solutions for electric vehicles and supporting France's essential role towards a sustainable future. I congratulate everyone involved in the ACC, as together we are building a strong alliance to strengthen Europe's competitiveness. "
It is a gigantic factory, built in a record time of just 17 months for a budget of €800 million. With a width of 100m and a height of 34m, the Douvrin Gigafactory covers an area equivalent to 8 football pitches. With 180,000 sqm of workshops, including 20,000 sqm of dry rooms by 2030, ACC's first Gigafactory will be the brand's flagship in Europe and should reach 40 GWH of production by the end of the decade. Full order books for 2024-2028
In parallel with battery production, Stellantis has developed the "Douvrin Battery Training Centre" with the ACC, the UIMM and its training centre, with the support of the State and the Hauts-de-France region, as part of a process of skills development and professional retraining. Through a 400-hour course, volunteers will acquire new skills in battery manufacturing, helping the Hauts-de-France region to be competitive in a sector that is crucial for the transition to electrification. By 2025, at least 600 people will be employed in the battery manufacturing plant.
In conclusion, it is a real ecosystem that the Stellantis Group is building through ACC to support the Group in the energy transition, capable of meeting its ambition to sell only 100% electric vehicles by 2030. This first Gigafactory is therefore an important step, especially as it is the first in France, which will allow the Group's next cars to benefit from electric batteries produced in France.