The European battery race hasn’t even started, and China has already won
Northvolt’s collapse is now followed by CATL establishing one of the continent’s largest production plants in Spain.
This edition of The Mobility Week in Review explores China’s latest push to dominate the European battery market, Barcelona’s ambitions to lead with innovative mobility projects, calls to reduce flights at Heathrow, Italy’s new scooter regulations, the rise in bicycle use in London, and the potential risks the new Trump administration poses for certain investments.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
🇨🇳 CATL and Stellantis to invest $4,33 billion in EV battery plant in Spain
Yes, I know—another week, another discussion about batteries. If you’re a regular MOTUM reader, you might be feeling a bit saturated with the topic. But the truth is, the developments of the past few weeks are nothing short of critical. In just over a month, Europe has gone from envisioning a future where it could challenge Chinese giants in battery production to facing the reality that Chinese brands are tightening their grip on this market by setting up their own plants across the continent. The announcement of CATL’s new production plant in Spain, while celebrated by some, marks the end of Europe’s ambitions for self-reliance in a sector critical to its present and future.