Volkswagen Group and PowerCo presented the series version of the new Unified Cell. It will make its debut in the Electric Urban Car Family of Volkswagen, ŠKODA and CUPRA.
The first cells will be produced by the end of the year at the Salzgitter Gigafactory, followed by Valencia (Spain) and St. Thomas (Canada). Precursors such as the cathode material also come from European production. This will make the Unified Cell a milestone for the European Automotive Industry, which has hardly been represented in battery technology so far.
Technologically, PowerCo’s Unified Cell is a big leap forward. Energy density of around 660 Wh/l makes it one of the most powerful battery cells in the volume segment. This corresponds to an increase of around 10 percent compared to previous cells. The battery system has also been completely new developed and now utilizes cell-to-pack technology.
Battery system and prismatic Unified Cell are perfectly synchronized and enable the Electric Urban Car Family to have a range of up to 450 kilometers and charging times of less than 25 minutes (forecast values). Gigacasting processes are used for key components, further reducing the weight. At the same time, costs have been significantly reduced compared to previous batteries. Volkswagen is thus setting new benchmarks in terms of range, charging speed and efficiency in the small car segment and making e-mobility affordable for everyone.
The Unified Cell serves as a global technology platform within the Volkswagen Group and will be used in up to 80 percent of electric vehicles across brands and regions. It can be equipped with various cell chemistries from LFP and Sodium-Ion to NMC and Solid-State, thus offering maximum flexibility despite standardization. It is developed and produced by PowerCo as well as by external suppliers.
Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo: “The battery cell is a key technology of the 21st century and plays a crucial role for the future of the European automotive industry. Today, we are taking a big step towards our goal of establishing battery technology in Europe. Technologically, our first series battery cell is absolutely on par with the established competitors. And we are already working on new customer products with LFP or Sodium-Ion chemistry. PowerCo is rapidly developing into a global cell manufacturer and the European Battery Tech Driver.”
