Porsche invests in high-performance battery company

Porsche revealed that it has invested in Customcells Cellforce Group GmbH, one of the world’s leading companies in the development of special lithium-ion battery cells.

The Stuttgart-based automaker placed a “high double-digit million amount” on the said company that develops and produces application-specific battery cells ranging from prototypes to small and medium series since 2012.

In a press statement, Porsche shared that the latest move “marks an extension of the sports car manufacturer’s technological leadership role in the field of electric mobility.” This leads to the production of high-performance battery cells at the Weissach Development Center.

Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche Oliver Blume noted that the latest subsidiary will help them gain leverage in vehicle electrification.

“The battery cell is the combustion chamber of the future. As a new Porsche subsidiary, the Cellforce Group will be instrumental in driving forward the research, development, production and sale of high-performance battery cells,” Blume was quoted as saying. “This joint venture allows us to position ourselves at the forefront of global competition in developing the most powerful battery cell and make it the link between the unmistakable Porsche driving experience and sustainability. This is how we shape the future of the sports car.”

The new venture, which Porsche has a majority stake of 83.75 percent, has its main office at Tübingen, Germany. The employees under it are expected to grow from the initial workforce of 13 provided jointly by both companies to up to 80 by 2025.

Joining Blume at the ceremony were Porsche Board Member for Research and Development Michael Steiner, as well as Customcells Itzehoe GmbH managing directors Leopold König and Torge Thönnessen.

Also gracing the event were Baden-Württemberg Minister President Winfried Kretschmann, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Bareiß, and Tübingen Mayor Boris Palmer.

Thönnessen, Customcells chief executive officer, said that they are targeting to create high-performance batteries for 1,000 units annually.

 “We founded Customcells with the aim of developing customer-specific battery cells for the most demanding of applications, and this is exactly what we can now realize together with Porsche. The goal for the planned production plant is to reach a minimum annual capacity of 100MWh. This is equivalent to high-performance batteries for 1,000 vehicles,” he shared.

König, the new company’s CEO, added that they are “not only contributing our expertise in cell technology and production into our partnership with Porsche, but also agility, innovative strength and individual problem-solving skills.”

For his part, Steiner noted that the engineering and development found in every Porsche offering are all built-not-bought. “Porsche was founded as an engineering and development office in Stuttgart in 1931. To this day, you cannot purchase the technology that is at the heart of our high-performance sports cars. We develop it ourselves.

“That is why it is only logical for us to develop and build the key technology of the future — the battery cell — ourselves. It is just as logical that we first test this new high-tech in the most competitive of environments: motorsport. Our electric sports car, the Taycan, also received key developments and its leading technical features from the race track, from the Le Mans-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid,” he explained.

Photos from Porsche

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