Tata seeks partnerships for UK battery plant to supply Jaguar Land Rover EVs

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Tata Sons is in discussions with multiple startups as the conglomerate seeks technical know-how for its £4 billion ($5.1 billion) UK battery plant, where it aims to start mass production in 2026. “If you look at the startups that are working in this space, they are at the forefront of technology,” Tata Motors Group Chief Financial Officer P.B. Balaji said in an interview in Mumbai.

“It’s a melange of opportunities. We are speaking to a host of them,” he said. The collaborations for the battery plant, capable of supplying cells for at least 500,000 vehicles a year, could range from a joint venture and sharing of knowledge to experimentation and licensing agreements, Balaji said.Tata intends to have partners across “the whole pathway from cell chemistry to manufacturing to industrialization,” he said.

The conglomerate is speaking to several companies involved in different stages of the value chain — research and development, manufacturing innovation and refining — and plans to make an announcement soon after narrowing down the options. Tata’s push adds to a host of carmakers like Mercedes-Benz Group Ag, Stellantis NV and Nissan Motor Co., who have mostly chosen to work with long-standing battery makers in scaling up Europe’s battery supply. Volkswagen AG, which is developing 240 gigawatt hours of capacity in the region, in June said its plans faced challenges from finding enough skilled workers, equipment and critical minerals.