Automated line investment as Akasol ramps up production
Akasol is investing in fully automated production lines for its high-energy battery modules produced at the Gigafactory 1 at its new Darmstadt campus. It aims to invest up to €29million, and the move also includes production lines for the company’s new US site in Hazel Park, Michigan.
Akasol says the investment follows a serial order from a leading international commercial vehicle manufacturer in the summer of 2019 for the supply of ultra-high-energy battery systems worth in “the high three-digit million euro range”, and new production capacities are now being built up as planned, enabling serial production to start in the new Gigafactory 1 south of Darmstadt by the middle of 2021. The new ultra-high-energy AKASystem AKM CYC battery systems will be manufactured at this location. These units achieve improved energy density compared to current systems, enabling vehicle ranges of up to 600-800km in full-electric buses and commercial vehicles, depending on the vehicle type and driving profile.
For the new Gigafactory 1, AKASOL has commissioned production equipment manufacturer Manz to supply the first fully automated module production lines.
“With a total capacity of up to 5GWh in the new Gigafactory 1 in Darmstadt, Akasol is well positioned to be able to deliver the quantities agreed with our serial customer in the coming years,” says Sven Schulz, CEO. “In addition, the new Gigafactory 1 will be an important basis for the further expansion of our production capacities in North America, where we will install Gigafactory 2 with almost identical production equipment from the beginning of 2022.”
In addition to the expansion of new production capacities, Akasol’s new headquarters will have a test and validation centre as well as an administration building and space for up to 500 workplaces on a 20,000 sq m site next to Gigafactory 1.