The French government is accelerating its efforts on the electric battery front. Industry Minister Sébastien Martin announced the creation of "France Batterie," an association intended to unite all stakeholders in the sector and strengthen their influence in Brussels.
This new structure will bring together the main French gigafactories, such as ACC, Verkor, and AESC, as well as manufacturers in the materials and recycling sectors. The objective is clear: to structure a sector that is still fragile in the face of international competition and to defend its interests in European negotiations.
A sector under pressure
This initiative comes as France is urging the European Union to release €1,5 billion in aid to support the development of battery factories. Several projects are indeed encountering difficulties, starting with ACC, whose ramp-up is proving slower and more costly than anticipated.
The sector faces a dual challenge: a less dynamic electric vehicle market than anticipated and increased competition from the largely dominant Chinese manufacturers. Added to this is a technological shift towards batteries that are less expensive than those currently produced in Europe.
At the same time, Paris is seeking to secure its supplies of strategic raw materials and to strengthen its industrial partnerships, particularly with Norway, in a logic of sovereignty and energy transition.
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