Written By Taiwanese car-battery maker bets on northern France with €5.2bn plant
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that Taiwanese car-battery maker Envision AESC plans to invest €5.2bn ($6.4bn) in a new battery plant in northern France. The plant will be located in the town of Douai and is expected to create 2,500 jobs.
Envision AESC is a subsidiary of Envision Group, a renewable energy company that produces wind turbines and solar panels. The company already has battery plants in Japan and China and is now expanding its operations to Europe in response to growing demand for electric vehicles.
The new factory in Douai will produce batteries for Nissan and Renault, both of which have factories nearby. The batteries will be used in the car manufacturers’ electric vehicles.
The French government has been actively promoting the development of electric vehicles and has set a target of having one million electric or hybrid cars on the road by 2022. The government has also pledged to invest €30bn ($37bn) in a green recovery plan following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Envision AESC’s investment in northern France is a major boost for the region and for France’s ambitions to become a leader in electric vehicles. The plant is expected to begin production in 2024 and will be a key part of the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
