Porsche study: Europe missing out on tooling battery gigafactories

A study examining the prospects for supplying manufacturing tooling for the scores of EV battery “gigafactories” scheduled to be built worldwide found there are opportunities for Europe-based mechanical and production-engineering firms. But it also serves as a warning that China-based engineering companies have established deep foundations in the vertical integration typical of gigafactory construction - foundations that may prove difficult to shake.

The study, “Battery Manufacturing 2030: Collaborating at Warp Speed,” was conducted by Porsche Consulting in collaboration with the German Mechanical Engineering Assn. (VDMA). It determined that, worldwide, there are approximately 200 EV battery gigafactories either planned or currently under construction. “At the moment,” the study blunted concluded, those battery manufacturing facilities “are mainly equipped with production technology from Asia. Chinese machine builders are currently setting the standard as full-service providers. Only eight percent of the high-tech equipment in such factories comes from Europe.”