If we looked under every electric car in the world, we would discover that at least one in three incorporates batteries from CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co). The world’s largest manufacturer of batteries for electric cars continues to think about expanding its domain, not only when it comes to new technologies. The Asian giant seeks to expand production to new locations. This is confirmed sources close to the company who assure that CATL is looking in Mexico for the ideal land to build a new battery factory.
As we have already said, CATL is the world’s leading supplier of batteries for electric cars. In its client portfolio we find brands such as Tesla, Hyundai, Solaris, BMW and many more. Working with almost all electric car manufacturers, the Chinese know that in the coming years their market will grow considerably thanks to the arrival of new entrants and more models. The European and American markets will be key in this new strategy, and that is why CATL thinks of bringing production closer.
Germany has become the center of local manufacturing in Europe. With facilities that are about to open, CATL will bring its production closer to manufacturers, which should delve into greater agility when making deliveries. In the United States, the details are being finalized to open the first large production plant, reports suggest that it will be located in South Carolina or Kentucky given the proximity to some of the factories of its commercial partners. This center is planned to be operational from 2026.
Despite the fact that there are already assured plans to bring CATL closer to the North American continent, the Chinese company raises the possibility of opening another center in the neighboring country, Mexico. As reported by Automotive News sources, CATL is looking for the ideal land for this new plant, looking closely at the towns of Ciudad Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua, or in Saltillo, state of Coahuila. The latter considered as a second option. The search is still active, so an official confirmation is not expected in the near future.
The same sources that point to the construction of a new plant in Mexico indicate that the budget for the manufacture and commissioning of the facilities is around 5,000 million dollars, although it is more than likely that this capital could be divided between the two installations planned for the United States and Mexico. At the moment the information is somewhat vague, but everything indicates that there will be not one but two factories in North America.
As it has done in Europe, and as it has been doing for a long time in China, CATL seeks to reduce distances with its buyers to streamline the production and delivery process. One possibility is that the battery cells would be manufactured in Mexico, while the packages would be formalized in the US plant. of the batteries that would end up being installed in Tesla, Ford or Volkswagen models.
