Germany ready to back EV battery makers, minister says

BERLIN -- The German government is ready to offer support to the makers of electric-vehicle batteries, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said, adding that one possibility might be to exempt them from some energy levies.

Speaking at an industry event, Altmaier said the production of batteries for EVs was not necessarily a matter for automakers, but the future manufacture of battery cells must be guaranteed. The German government would support that.

Altmaier said a possibility might be to exempt the batteries' energy-intensive production from some electricity charges. He added that decisions must be made soon on EVs and future technology in cars.

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