With new mobility, especially electric vehicles getting into the centre stage, OEMs worldwide are looking at creating facilities to make systems and components to support the emerging requirements.
Accordingly, the manufacturing facility in Braunschweig belonging to the Volkswagen Group Components is gearing up to cater to VW’s diverse brands’ battery requirements that are based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB). The powerpack from this plant will energise Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4, and ŠKODA ENYAQ iV.
Towards this, the Braunschweig plant is doubling the capacity to 500,000 batteries a year. In addition, it will add another 100,000 battery systems for special models, including SEAT Mii electric, ŠKODA Citigoe iV6 and hybrids such as Volkswagen Golf GTE7. Therefore, the cumulative capacity will be 600,000 battery systems per year.
As an independent corporate business unit under the umbrella of Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen Group Components is responsible for the development and manufacturing of strategic components for the Group’s vehicle-producing brands. In addition, it is responsible for Battery Cell & Battery System, Charging & Energy, plus Drive & Platform.
MEB Batteries
Series production of MEB batteries takes place using the state-of-the-art, largely fully automated production technology in a new manufacturing hall spread across more than 40,000 m2, and more than €300 million have been invested in the new building.
Thomas Schmall, CEO, Volkswagen Group Components and Member of the Group Board of Management for Technology, said, “The strong demand for attractive and affordable electric models based on the modular electric drive matrix has the lines of the first expansion stage working at full capacity, so we have fired up the second stage. As such, the component is underpinning the Group’s unprecedented electric campaign. Volkswagen Group Components has taken on the management of the ‘Battery Cell & Battery System’ and ‘Charging & Energy’ business units within the Volkswagen Group and plans to use its economies of scale and innovative power to develop optimum batteries and charging offers for Volkswagen customers.”
And the next ramp-up is coming soon: the plant has received approval for expanding PHEV production capacities. While more than 50,000 hybrid battery systems a year are leaving the plant today, as of 2023, this will be up to 300,000 battery systems.
Martin Schmuck, Braunschweig Plant Manager, Volkswagen Group Components, said, “Through the consistent orientation toward electric mobility and a clear focussing of the product range, the Braunschweig site is lining itself up to be economically future-safe. The transformation of the site goes hand-in-hand with the transformation of its employees, who have been comprehensively qualified for working with batteries. This way, we can contribute to job security at the site.”
In addition to the battery systems, Braunschweig also produces steering systems, brake discs, suspension struts, wheel bearing housings, wheel drives and sub-frames, and also front and rear axles, for example.
Production Process
Production of the battery housing employs the latest welding, adhesive and sealing techniques. The housing units are then assembled together with the cell modules and a control unit to form the actual battery systems. Several in-line, air-tightness, and end-of-line testbeds guarantee uniformly high quality. The battery system development, including its hardware and software, also took place at the Braunschweig site. The knowledge gained here sets new standards for the whole Group and is being used within the international network.
The battery system product employs more than 800 people. The employees required for the expansion of the production capacities were retrained mainly for the new tasks within site and prepared for working with high voltages through tailored training courses and qualifications.