Stellantis, TotalEnergies/Saft and Mercedes-Benz have finalized the agreement to bring Mercedes-Benz onboard as a new, equal partner of Automotive Cells Company (ACC). (Earlier post.) The partners have committed to increase ACC’s industrial capacity to at least 120 GWh by 2030.

By then, its French (Billy-Berclau/Douvrin) and German (Kaiserslautern) plants will each be able to produce at least 40 GWh per year against the 24 GWh initially planned. In addition, ACC’s industrial footprint will be enriched by a third production site in Termoli, Italy.

A Memorandum of Understanding between ACC and the Italian authorities was signed on 21 March to formalize the willingness of shareholders to invest in Italy, and of Italian authorities to support that investment.

The new Shareholder Agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

We are delighted to welcome Mercedes-Benz as a new partner of ACC. This demonstrates the credibility of the initiative taken a year ago by TotalEnergies/Saft and Stellantis and clearly supports our ambition to be an innovative European battery player. This is a fundamental step for ACC. After only 18 months of existence, ACC is on track with both its R&D center in Bordeaux and its pilot site in Nersac already operational. The arrival of Mercedes-Benz brings a vote of confidence in our technological roadmap and in the competitiveness of our products, which significantly strengthens ACC’s commercial potential and supports our ambitious growth plans.

—Yann Vincent, ACC’s CEO

As an equal shareholder, Mercedes-Benz will contribute its expertise and support the expansion of ACC’s production network based on the brand’s benchmark quality standards. With Saft, an affiliate of TotalEnergies, Mercedes-Benz has a partner with more than 100 years of experience in the field of long-life batteries and battery systems for applications critical to safety, back-up power and electric and hybrid drives. Stellantis brings industrialization expertise to the joint venture through its brand diversity, size and global footprint. Together with its partners, Mercedes-Benz customers can benefit from the joint venture’s unique combination of technological know-how, production experience and scale.

ACC was established by Stellantis and TotalEnergies/Saft in August 2020 and supported by the French, German, and European authorities, to create an innovative European battery player for electric vehicles. ACC’s purpose is to develop and produce battery cells and modules for electric vehicles with a focus on safety, performance, and competitiveness, while ensuring the highest level of quality and the lowest carbon footprint. The updated ACC capacity plan will mobilize an investment of more than seven billion euros.