‘Cookie-cutter’ approach lowers gigafactory risks

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is solidly underway, and the pressure is on to ensure a sufficient supply of batteries for the coming wave of zero-emission models. While Asia established a dominant position with battery cell capacity early on, the rest of the world is scrambling to catch up. In Europe alone there are plans to build nearly 40 gigafactories for lithium-ion battery cells. The term ‘gigafactory’ has been used loosely and can mean different things to different companies, but generally refers to facilities that produce EV batteries on a vast scale. The name comes from the gigawatt hour (GWh) levels of battery output.

Building such a facility entails careful planning, hefty investment, and a sizeable potential market. Locating in the wrong region or misjudging demand could prove an expensive mistake. Slovakian start-up InoBat has high hopes of making a name for itself in battery supply. While it’s only now establishing its first pilot production line, the company believes its modular approach to production will allow for flexible, rapid growth in response to evolving customer requirements.