Bolloré wants to turn the page. The former operator of Autolib has the ambition to relaunch in the sector of batteries for electric cars and intends to become the “world leader in solid batteries” for this type of vehicle, according to an interview with a manager of the group at Les Echos.
Solid Lithium Metal Polymer (LMP) batteries, competitors of the Lithium-ion batteries most commonly used for electric vehicles, are developed by a company in the group, Blue Solutions.
These batteries, which currently equip buses, must be suitable for the operation of a particular car and be able to operate at ambient temperature. In order to remedy this technical pitfall, “new R&D resources have been released,” Fabricio Protti, deputy general manager, told Echoes, adding that the group is in the process of recruiting 70 engineers, including electro-chemists.
Soon gigafactories
The group intends to devote a budget of 145 million euros over the next three years, dedicated to R&D in batteries and aims to start mass production in 2026, to move to large volumes by 2028, in installments. from 8 to 10 GWh committed according to the contracts concluded with the manufacturers, according to the daily newspaper.
The gigafactories envisaged for this production will represent a total investment of four to six billion, for which Bolloré will seek partners.