Chinese battery cell manufacturer AESC, formerly Envision AESC, is reportedly in advanced negotiations to become a supplier of battery cells to Renault Group’s vehicle plants in Valladolid and Palencia, Spain. The talks, according to local media La Tribuna de Automoción, are said to be progressing well, and if successful, AESC would provide cells for Renault’s electric vehicle production in these Spanish facilities.
Renault is currently manufacturing the Renault Captur in Valladolid and the Kadjar SUV and fourth-gen Mégane in Palencia. However, Renault denied plans for purely electric car production in these plants when asked for comment.
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AESC is planning a new cell factory in Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres), Spain, expected to commence operations in 2025 with a capacity of up to 50 GWh. The company has reportedly signed a contract to supply battery cells to the Mercedes-Benz Vans plant in Vitoria, Spain, which will produce electric vans based on the VAN.EA platform from 2026. With ongoing talks with Renault, AESC aims to secure another major customer for its battery cells.
Renault and AESC are already collaborating in France, where AESC is constructing a battery cell factory at Renault’s site in Douai. While the initial plans were scaled down, the facility is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of at least 30 GWh by 2029.
See also: Envision develops electric vehicles battery with a range of 1,000 Km
Renault’s electric division, Ampere, is planning seven electric models by 2031, aiming for an annual production of around one million electric vehicles. The reported negotiations with AESC suggest Renault’s need for additional battery cells to meet its ambitious electric vehicle production targets. In addition to discussions with Renault, AESC is reportedly engaged in negotiations with “several brands” for supplying battery cells to other European plants.
