Battery Maker ACC Picks Stellantis' Comau For Role In French Gigafactory

Automotive Cells Company (ACC) has picked Turin-based Comau to design and develop the battery module production lines for a gigafactory it is building in the French town of Douvrin, Comau said on Thursday.

ACC, a joint venture of Stellantis, Mercedes Benz and TotalEnergies, has a plan worth over 7 billion euros ($6.9 billion) to build three gigafactories in France, Germany and Italy with a capacity of 40-gigawatt hours (GWh) each by 2030, to support the growing production of electrified vehicles.

As part of the deal, Comau, the robotics arm of Stellantis, will supply ACC with the expertise and equipment needed to automate manufacturing of the EV batteries, with the option to produce both 8- and 16-cell modules, it said in a statement.

The five Comau-designed lines will allow ACC's French gigafactory to produce up to 8 GWh annually by the end of 2024, it said, adding it will guarantee local sourcing of technology, auxiliary equipment and components.