FUCHS strengthens e-mobility business and enters the battery market

Batteries in electric cars, electric airplanes, tools or garden machines. The battery market is exploding. And we are part of it! With expertise in fluids, production and logistics. Together with the start-up E-Lyte Innovations GmbH, FUCHS is entering the battery market, enabling the set-up of a production plant for high-performance electrolyte solutions in the thousands of tons range made in Germany.

The Spanish market is in full transition towards the electric vehicle and Spain is positioned as an important nucleus for the production and development of lithium batteries in Europe.

FUCHS will present at the BIEMH the latest lubrication solutions for the manufacture of batteries and electric mobility that will be especially interesting for those companies that want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by e-mobility, adapting their processes to new requirements.

The E-Lyte product technology also focuses on meeting specific requirements and is based on special performance characteristics, such as faster battery charging times. These are not only of vital importance for electric cars, but also hold potential for many other promising areas, such as drones, medical engineering, high and low temperature applications, or the aerospace sector.

"There is no longer one universal electrolyte for batteries and the differences between those available are becoming more and more pronounced. The rapidly developing battery technologies for a broad range of applications are causing skyrocketing demand for customized electrolyte formulas and ever larger production volumes. In order to cater for this, we need a local supply chain, not only because the electrolyte doesn't permit long delivery and storage times because of its limited shelf life," says Dr. Ralf Wagner, Managing Partner of E-Lyte Innovations GmbH.

In the next step, the required production infrastructure will be established jointly at the FUCHS location in Kaiserslautern, Germany to facilitate industrialization, scaling, and further growth. Funds are in particular being invested in the production facilities and laboratory equipment. Production is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2023.

In the next step, the required production infrastructure will be established jointly at the FUCHS location in Kaiserslautern, Germany to facilitate industrialization, scaling, and further growth. Funds are in particular being invested in the production facilities and laboratory equipment. Production is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2023.

German enterprise Customcells Holding GmbH, a leading international company in the development of special, high-performance lithium-ion battery cells, is the third partner in the joint venture.

Electric mobility, an opportunity for the Spanish market

The Spanish market is in the midst of a transition to electric vehicles. The new eco-sustainable measures have become a business opportunity and Spain is positioned as an important testing ground for the production and development of lithium batteries in Europe.

For the time being, the South Korean company Iljin has chosen Mont-roig del Camp, in Tarragona, to set up its electric battery components factory. These new facilities are expected to be operational in 2024, for which 600 million euros will be invested and 500 people will be employed. But it will not be the only investment in our country, as the Volkswagen Group, which includes the Spanish company Seat, has announced that it will install a battery cell factory in Sagunto (Valencia), thus becoming the third battery factory for electric cars in the group, along with Germany and Sweden. An operation with an investment of close to 3.5 billion euros.