Volkswagen's EV Initiatives From Charging to Batteries

The largest carmaker in Europe, Volkswagen, is diversifying its EV battery supply chain. In the US, the company is working with startup QuantumScape, as well as French electronics manufacturer Blue Solutions. 

Volkswagen's electrifying initiatives from charging to batteries

The Volkswagen Group is based in Wolfsburg, Germany, and is made up of multiple brands including ŠKODA, SEAT, CUPRA, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche and Ducati. The company sells vehicles in 153 countries and runs 119 production plants across the world, with 675,000 employees. Volkswagen aims to make its electric vehicles ‘clean, quiet, intelligent and safe’. 

EV magazine recently spoke with David Watts, Fleet EV Product Manager at Volkswagen Financial Services Fleet, who discussed wider EV adoption. 

“When it comes to business charging infrastructure, it’s also essential that businesses are designing and implementing a solution that’s fit for the future. As EV adoption continues to grow, so too will demand for on-site workplace and depot charging, and business’ charging infrastructure plans need to be equipped to support this.”

Read the full interview here. 

Volkswagen and Blue Solutions hope to agree on a joint development plan for securing EV batteries which offer drivers longer ranges and shorter charging times. Blue Solutions, a Bolloré Group company, manufactures solid-state batteries and solid-state lithium metal polymer batteries, which are recyclable and do not contain cobalt, nickel or cadmium.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s venture with QuantumScape will lead to batteries for passenger cars. Volkswagen signed a development deal in 2018 for QuantumScape to power Volkswagen’s electric vehicles by 2025 and has invested US$300m into the startup.

"We still have a lot of work to do," said Jagdeep Singh, QuantumScape's CEO. "The prototype is meant to show the core functionality is there, not that the cell is fully ironed out in terms of all the different defects that can be introduced during the production process."

Volkswagen drives electric mobility into the spotlight 

Much like toy manufacturer Mattel, Volkswagen recently branched out into film, after signing an exclusive partnership with ZAG and Mediawan Kids & Family, the two co-producers of “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie”, which saw the titular superheroes driving a fully electric Volkswagen.

“E-mobility is cool and it is exciting,” explained Nelly Kennedy, Volkswagen Chief Marketing Officer. “This is a perfect match with the characters and the story. We are thrilled that the movie’s beloved characters will experience their adventures with different fully electric cars of our Volkswagen ID. family.”

With these animated heroes enjoying the thrills of electric mobility, the movie supports Volkswagen’s sustainability on its “Way to zero”. Volkswagen plans to become climate-neutral by 2050 and will launch ten new all electric models by 2026. 

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