Volkswagen (Anhui) Components Co., Ltd. rolls off first high-voltage battery systems

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Volkswagen (Anhui) Components Co., Ltd. ("VWAC"), Volkswagen Group ("the Group")'s first 100% owned battery system plant in China, recently inaugurated the production of its first high-voltage battery system in Hefei city, the Group announced on November 21. This battery system serves as a crucial component for Volkswagen Anhui's electric vehicles produced on the MEB platform. 

Photo credit: Volkswagen Group

The production launch signifies a significant milestone in Volkswagen Group's strategy to establish Hefei as a hub for intelligent connected electric vehicles (ICV) and is a key initiative under the "In China, For China" strategy.

Olaf Korzinovski, Executive Vice President of Volkswagen Group China, responsible for Components, Logistics and QA, said: “Volkswagen Group Component China is actively driving our transformation towards a new era of intelligent, connected vehicles, in China, for China. VWAC serves as the powerhouse of battery production and is a vital part of our future development. With the first high-voltage battery system rolling off the production line at VWAC, Volkswagen Group Components China has shown its dedication to locally developing and producing top-notch backbone components for our electric vehicles.”

As the first battery system plant wholly invested by Volkswagen Automatic Transmission (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., VWAC has an initial annual production capacity of 150,000 to 180,000 sets of high-voltage battery systems. These will be supplied to Volkswagen Anhui for the production of MEB platform-based battery electric vehicle (BEV) models.

The newly produced battery system comprises multiple cell modules, cell management controller, battery management system, and connector strips. Approximately 96% of the components required for battery production are sourced domestically, supporting localization efforts.

With a vision for digitalized production processes and dedicated investments, the production, assembly, and testing of battery systems will adopt cutting-edge technology, ensuring high automation at every stage, said the Group.

For instance, the company utilizes automatic line feeding technology throughout the production process, combining Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV), high-precision intelligent cameras, and industrial robots to achieve Just-in-Sequence (JIS) logistics and precise component processing.

Besides, the quality lab also features a water cutting machine, laser radar, and 3D coordinate measuring machine (CMM) equipment, all of which improve the efficiency of product analysis while meeting Volkswagen Group’s quality standard.

In the future, VWAC is set to spearhead the manufacturing of the Group's Cell-to-Pack (CTP) battery packs, utilizing standardized cells developed in collaboration with Gotion High-Tech.

Covering an area of over 45,000 square meters, VWAC is adjacent to Volkswagen Anhui, the Group's first joint venture dedicated to electric vehicle production in China. It took the company less than 12 months to complete the construction of its factory.

VWAC is committed to becoming a model of sustainable manufacturing, contributing to the Group's sustainable development. The company aims to be 100% green by 2025, employing measures such as a geothermal heat pump system covering 100% of the office and auxiliary building areas, estimated to save around 900 megawatt-hours of energy annually.