By Etienne BALMER
Lambres-Lez-Douai, France (AFP) Dec 10, 2025
France is creating home manufacturing of electrical car batteries with a watch on industrial independence however Asian specialists are proving key in launching operations.
Within the Verkor manufacturing unit outdoors the northern metropolis of Dunkirk, which might be inaugurated on Thursday, overseas specialists, notably from South Korea and Malaysia, are coaching the native employees.
Verkor is the third battery gigafactory to open in northern France in a area that has develop into often known as “Battery Valley”.
On the AESC manufacturing unit close to town of Douai, the place manufacturing has been underway for a number of months, Chinese language engineers and technicians supervise French recruits.
“They’re those who prepare us on the gear, learn how to function it, learn how to repair issues,” stated Ericka Redjimi, 39.
Redjimi arrived at AESC in Might with none expertise within the sector.
“I bought garments at open-air markets,” she stated.
Communication can show sophisticated.
“We use Google Translate typically.”
“I nonetheless want them, a lot lower than initially,” however “it is reassuring that they’re nonetheless right here,” stated Redjimi, who works within the part of the manufacturing unit that makes battery cells.
As soon as completed, autonomous robotic sleds transport the cells to a different part of the manufacturing unit the place they’re assembled into battery modules which are used to energy Renault’s R4 and R5 fashions, in addition to the Nissan Micra.
– Abilities switch –
By the tip to the primary quarter of 2026 the manufacturing unit ought to be operating at full pace, turning out batteries to equip 150,000 to 200,000 automobiles per 12 months, stated Ayumi Kurose, who heads up operations at AESC France.
He stated the primary few months of manufacturing had gone just about as anticipated.
“What’s all the time sophisticated is gaining mastery of the gear” which regularly comes from Asia, and the coaching of employees, Kurose stated.
Based in Japan however now owned by China’s Envision, AESC has been manufacturing electrical automotive batteries in Asia for 15 years.
The group can depend on its in-house know-how to make sure “good practices from starting” at its new factories elsewhere on this planet, stated Kurose.
He stated there are at present almost 150 Chinese language specialists working on the Douai directing 800 native employees.
These embody specialists in vision-based management of commercial equipment and cutting-edge soldering methods.
“The purpose is absolutely the switch of expertise,” stated Kurose.
The specialists “come for between six months and two years, however they are not meant to remain,” he added.
The Douai manufacturing unit ought to be able to function by itself by the tip of 2026, he estimated.
One of many Chinese language engineers additionally expressed confidence.
“I’ve to say, my French colleagues, they’re all the time working onerous,” stated He Xiaoming, 36.
In the event that they purchase the required information and acquire extra expertise “they may go fairly quick”, he added.
– Chinese language accomplice –
The close by ACC manufacturing unit, the primary battery gigafactory to open in France in 2024, can also be scaling up manufacturing after a troublesome begin.
“What we manufacture in a day now took us a month to do initially of the 12 months,” stated ACC’s chief government Yann Vincent.
“We’re not but the place we wish to be”, however by way of the speed of faulty cells and volumes “we have made important enchancment.”
A three way partnership of carmakers Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz plus vitality agency TotalEnergies, ACC earlier this 12 months struck a brief partnership with a Chinese language battery producer.
The corporate, the title of which ACC hasn’t disclosed, will handle certainly one of its three manufacturing traces from A to Z till mid-2026.
Vincent stated the Chinese language have discovered an unlimited quantity in 20 years of producing electrical car batteries, whereas France started from zero 5 years in the past.
So “it is higher to depend on the individuals who know finest” to hurry up studying a “actually delicate” manufacturing course of.
ACC, which at present employs 1,200 folks at its Billy-Berclau manufacturing unit, goals to fabricate batteries for 250,000 electrical automobiles subsequent 12 months, towards 10,000 to this point.
etb/rl/jh
Associated Hyperlinks
