InoBat Auto plans to produce first bateries in Voderady within one year. (source: TASR)
While Slovakia is the leader in car production per 1,000 capita with an extensive network of suppliers, none of them has produced car batteries for the increasing production of electric cars so far. This will change as the electric vehicle (EV) battery developer and producer InoBat Auto has launched work to transform a brownfield in Voderady into an EV battery R&D centre and pilot line.
“If this project succeeds, we will hear a lot more about these people; it may be Slovakia's next Eset,” said Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár, comparing the project to the global IT security provider.
The centre might be a benefit not only for the four carmakers located in Slovakia but also European countries, as it will reduce the dependency of electric vehicle manufacturers on the import of batteries from Asia.
“The goal is to increase the global competitiveness of the European market in this area and provide the automotive industry with long-term sustainable solutions,” said co-founder and CEO of InoBat Auto, Marián Boček.
The site, located 40 kilometres from Bratislava in Voderady, is situated in the centre of central Europe’s automotive hub, with more than 4.25 million vehicles produced annually in a 500-km radius from the facility. InoBat is preparing to build a 1GWh Gigafactory in Voderady, Slovakia before scaling up to a 32GWh Gigafactory to support and serve the international market at scale.
European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, in charge of the European Battery Alliance, acknowledges that the private sector is maintaining the momentum built up by the European Battery Alliance.
“This ambitious new InoBat Auto project represents another significant stepping stone towards building a competitive, innovative and sustainable battery value chain here in Europe,” said Šefčovič via internet during the ceremonial launch of the hall's reconstruction on June 1. “This will help bolster our strategic autonomy and protect millions of jobs in the face of increasing global competition – particularly important in Central Europe.”
