Still problems for Northvolt What could not meet BMW’s requirements. As we know, the German car manufacturer is continuing its electrification project, which involves the launch of several new electric models in the coming years. In the summer of 2020, the manufacturer announced that it had signed a €2 billion agreement with Northvolt to supply battery cells that would be used for its future electric vehicles.
However, apparently, this billion-dollar contract burned down.
Why has BMW decided to no longer buy battery cells from Northvolt? According to German media reports, including Manager Magazin, there are several reasons. First, Northwalt won’t be able to meet deadlines contract. In fact, the manufacturer will fall significantly behind on its roadmap, which includes expanding production by opening new plants. They even talk about two years.
Moreover, the second reason concerns production quality. Northvolt appears to have encountered far more waste from production than originally expected. The order, in particular, concerned battery cells intended for BMW iX and BMW i4 models. To compensate for the lack of supplies from the Swedish company, Samsung SDI stepped in which is already one of the main battery suppliers for the German automaker. Therefore, the Koreans will benefit from this situation by increasing the supply of battery cells.
However, despite the cancellation of the deal, BMW will not abandon Northvolt. In fact, the German automaker has already made it clear that it intends to continue cooperation with the Swedish company if the problems are resolved. In particular, we are talking about supply of new cylindrical cells which the German manufacturer will use for electric vehicles based on the new product New Class Platform.
It remains only to wait to understand how events will develop and, above all, how Northvolt’s work will continue.
Source: HD Motori
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.