Automotive Cells Company

Automotive Cells Company (ACC) is a Franco-German joint venture founded in 2020 by PSA Group (now Stellantis) and Total (now TotalEnergies), with Mercedes-Benz joining as an equal shareholder in 2021. The company produces next-generation lithium-ion battery cells for electric vehicles, aiming to equip four vehicle platforms with ranges of 500 km for A, B and C segments, 700 km for C and D segments, and 800 km for D and E segments as well as utility vehicles. These batteries can be paired with three electric motor models: EDM1 (70 kW), EDM2 (125–180 kW) and EDM3 (150–330 kW). ACC opened a pilot battery plant in Nersac in 2020 to test and refine production processes, followed by a gigafactory in Billy-Berclau and Douvrin, inaugurated on 30 May 2023. A research centre opened in Bruges, near Bordeaux, in mid-2021. Further gigafactory projects were considered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and Termoli, Italy, but were suspended in 2024 due to a market shift toward lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology. In February 2024, public subsidies of €1.3 billion were granted to support the approximately €5 billion investment for the Douvrin and Kaiserslautern plants, with two-thirds from France and the rest from Germany. Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz increased their stakes to 45% and 30% respectively by end of March 2024, diluting Saft's share to 25%. The Douvrin plant's first block, representing an investment of €850 million, has a production capacity of 56,000 battery cells per day, enough for 200,000 to 300,000 electric vehicles annually, with each block corresponding to 8 GWh/year. Production ramp-up was expected until end of 2024, with three blocks planned by 2030 to equip 500,000 battery cars. However, in 2024 production only equipped 2,500 vehicles, far below targets. The Italian and German gigafactory projects were definitively abandoned, as confirmed by the Italian metalworkers' union UILM on 7 February 2026.

Automotive Cells Company (ACC) was created in 2020 as a Franco-German joint venture by PSA Group (now Stellantis) and Total (now TotalEnergies), with Mercedes-Benz joining in 2021. The project for a battery plant was first submitted to public debate by the French National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) from 25 February to 23 April 2015. On 3 September 2020, PSA Group, Opel and Total's subsidiary Saft signed an agreement to create ACC, aiming to manufacture electric vehicle battery cells in Europe from 2023. In addition to the Nersac pilot plant, a battery cell factory was built in Billy-Berclau and Douvrin, along with a research centre in Bruges, creating 1,400 to 2,000 jobs. In September 2021, Mercedes-Benz joined the project as an equal shareholder with Stellantis and TotalEnergies. On 30 May 2023, the Douvrin plant was inaugurated, with production expected to start in September-October and first 'made in France' batteries to equip Stellantis cars by May 2024. Plans for plants in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and Termoli, Italy, were considered. In February 2024, to help ACC finance the approximately €5 billion investment for the Douvrin and Kaiserslautern plants, €1.3 billion in public subsidies were granted, two-thirds from France and the rest from Germany. Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz increased their stakes to 45% and 30% respectively by end of March 2024, diluting Saft's share to 25%. In 2024, as the market shifted toward lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology, the German and Italian plant projects were suspended. The Douvrin/Billy-Berclau plant's first block, inaugurated on 30 May 2023, represented an investment of €850 million, with 17 months of construction for 60,000 m² of workshop. Its production capacity is 56,000 battery cells per day, enough for 200,000 to 300,000 electric vehicles annually, with each block corresponding to 8 GWh/year. Production ramp-up was expected until end of 2024. By 2030, three production blocks should be able to equip 500,000 battery cars, with a fourth possible. At end of 2023, the first batteries left the plant as planned. For 2024, production only equipped 2,500 vehicles, far below objectives. The Kaiserslautern and Termoli plants were to follow the modular concept started at Douvrin, with identical capacity of four blocks of 8 GWh/year each. The investment for the Italian plant was estimated at over €2 billion, including at least €250 million from EU post-COVID recovery funds. But in 2024, the stagnation of the electric vehicle market convinced ACC to reconsider NMC battery technology and return to LFP, which is less performant but more economical. On 17 September 2024, the Italian government, noting ACC's hesitations and the shelving of the Italian project, decided to reallocate the subsidies. On 17 February 2025, Stellantis announced that the Termoli plant would manufacture the electrified eDCT transmission, in addition to Metz and Mirafiori sites. Quoting TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné, 'It is better to concentrate efforts on one plant rather than three,' commentators saw this as confirmation of the abandonment of the Termoli gigafactory project. The Italian metalworkers' union UILM indicated on 7 February 2026: 'ACC management confirmed to us this morning what we had long feared: ACC's project to build a gigafactory in Termoli has been definitively abandoned, as has the one in Germany.'

• Public debate on battery plant project opens

• PSA Group, Opel and Saft sign agreement to create ACC

• Nersac pilot battery plant opens

• Mercedes-Benz joins as equal shareholder

• Research centre opens in Bruges, near Bordeaux

• Douvrin/Billy-Berclau gigafactory inaugurated

• First batteries produced at Douvrin plant

• €1.3 billion public subsidies granted; Stellantis and Mercedes-Benz increase stakes to 45% and 30%

• German and Italian gigafactory projects suspended due to market shift to LFP

• Italian government reallocates subsidies for Termoli project

• Stellantis announces Termoli plant will produce eDCT transmission

• UILM confirms definitive abandonment of Termoli and Germany gigafactory projects

European manufacturer of electric vehicle battery cells, aiming to support the transition to electric mobility with local production.

• Next-generation lithium-ion battery cells

  Batteries for four vehicle platforms with ranges of 500 km (A, B, C segments), 700 km (C, D segments) and 800 km (D, E segments and utility vehicles). Can be paired with EDM1 (70 kW), EDM2 (125–180 kW) and EDM3 (150–330 kW) motors.

1. 1Automotive Cells Company - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Automotive Cells Company - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org