Hyperdrive
China's CATL Is Set to Choose Germany for Battery Plant
- Factory in Poland could also be part of European expansion
- Manufacturer plans IPO to finance growth outside home market
The CATL headquarters and manufacturing complex in Ningde, China, on Jan. 30, 2018.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. is nearing a decision to build a battery factory in Germany, planting a flag on the home turf of car giants Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG and BMW AG as part of a major push into Europe, according to people familiar with the matter.
China’s biggest maker of battery cells for electric autos is considering a site in the state of Thuringia for the plant, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the deliberations are private. It’s also exploring possible locations in Poland and at least one other country in Europe, and might still opt to set up shop there eventually, they said.