Blue Solutions, a unit of French conglomerate Bollore, plans to build a gigafactory in eastern France costing about two billion euros to produce a new solid-state battery it has produced that has a 20-minute charging time, its CEO stated.
Solid-state batteries are seen as the “holy grail” of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), promising longer driving ranges and shorter charging times than traditional lithium-ion packs.
However, technical hurdles have held back large scale commercialisation.
Blue Solutions already produces solid-state batteries for Daimler electric buses.
Its new smaller battery for cars with a 20-minute charging time aims to have a range of 1,000 km and tests have shown energy density 30-40 per cent higher than the top lithium-ion cells, Chief Executive Richard Bouveret told Reuters.
The company is also holding talks on more deals after signing one with BMW last year to develop a battery for EVs, he said.
Blue Solutions’ planned gigafactory would be located close to both French and German automakers, and start production in 2030, Bouveret said in an interview.
In contrast to typical sprawling battery gigafactories, it would consist of modular towers with a smaller footprint and would have capacity of 25 gigawatt hours (GWh).
In January, a source told Reuters the French company was in talks with German auto giant Volkswagen about adapting a battery for cars.
Both Blue Solutions and VW have declined to confirm the discussions.
Blue Solutions aims to have six joint development agreements signed by the end of 2024, including with at least one more automaker, Bouveret said.
The company last year signed a memorandum of understanding with contract electronics maker Foxconn, tab to develop batteries for electric two-wheeled vehicles.
Bouveret said Blue Solutions is open to working with rival battery makers to speed commercialisation of its battery design.
