PARIS (Reuters) -Renault’s electric vehicle unit Ampere said on Monday it would include lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology in its plans to mass produce EVs, teaming up with LG Energy Solution and CATL to build a supply chain in Europe.
Western automakers are under pressure to expand their range of chemical battery technologies to meet the needs of all market segments amid fierce competition from their often cheaper Chinese rivals.
“This decision is an effective and cutting-edge response to market volatility and change in technologies,” Ampere said in a statement, adding that LFP batteries will equip “several” models of the Renault and Alpine brands over the next years.
The company also pledged to work towards the development of so-called cell-to-pack battery solutions, aimed at boosting the range of its electric cars, together with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution.
In a separate statement, LG Energy Solution said early on Tuesday it had signed a deal to supply 39 gigawatt hours of LFP batteries to Renault to power about 590,000 vehicles.
LG Energy Solution said the value of the contract had not been confirmed but the contract period was between the end of 2025 and Dec. 31, 2030.
(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Gilles Guillaume, Jack Kim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Dominique Vidalon and Jamie Freed)
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