CATL is considering additional battery gigafactories in Europe, according to its regional head, Matt Shen, who discussed the plans with analysts at fDi Intelligence. He said current capacity would not meet the European market’s expected structural growth, though he did not identify possible locations for new plants.
The company currently operates a 14-gigawatt-hour facility in Germany. Its Hungarian plant, with 100 GWh of capacity, is in the process of ramping up production. CATL is also developing a 50 GWh factory in Spain with Stellantis.
Shen described three expected stages of electrification: passenger electric vehicles, battery energy storage and, later, commercial vehicles. For potential sites, he highlighted proximity to customers and access to logistics and energy infrastructure. He also pointed to a shortage of skilled workers and engineers in Europe’s battery sector, saying that training the workforce will take time.