Envision AESC to invest $810 m on 30GWh South Carolina Gigafactory
Japanese battery firm Envision AESC has announced an investment of $ 810 million to build a new, state-of-the-art gigafactory at Florence in South Carolina, USA. The 30GWh plant will produce high performance batteries to power the next generation BMW Group's EVs, the company has said.
The new generation battery cells used in the next generation of BMW group electric cars will lead to 20 percent more energy density than the current generation, reduce charging time and increase range and efficiency for EVs by 30 percent.
By 2030, BMW Group will produce at least six fully electric models in its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, thus making the proposed battery plant located nearby highly strategic in nature.
AESC Group CEO Shoichi Matsumoto said on the development, "Our partnership with Florence County, South Carolina is part of our next phase battery strategy to power next generation EVs in the U.S. This gigafactory is another milestone on our journey to building an electrification network in the U.S and strengthens our commitment to grow the electrification supply chain while providing high value jobs for the community for years to come".
"We are making good progress on our ambition to create high-performance, longer-range batteries for a diverse range of automotive manufacturers worldwide to support the EV transition and we're excited to bring Florence County on this journey with us", he added.
As the latest AESC investment to help scale up EV manufacturing capabilities in strategically important regions, the South Carolina plant follows last year's announcements to build gigafactories in Douai, France; Sunderland, U.K; Ibaraki, Japan; and Extremadura, Spain.
It comes as the latest investment in the company's network following the recent gigafactory announcement in Kentucky. This brings total AESC capacity to more than 150 GWh worldwide and advances its commitment to reach 300GWh by 2026.
In United States, the proposed plant is in addition to an existing battery manufacturing facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky (under construction), taking AESC capacity to more than 70 GWh nationally.
As with Florence in South Carolina, all plants will be powered by low carbon energy and digitally enabled with smart infrastructure software to optimize the energy footprint.
The company is also committed to pursuing responsible sources for its critical battery components cobalt, lithium and nickel, providing full transparency of extraction methods and increasing reliance on recycled materials, which will contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions from cell production in the new plant.
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