Northvolt has announced that it's moving the research and development of the next generation of lithium batteries from California in the USA to Northvolt's lab in Västerås.
The company described the move as “a strategic step to consolidate research and development with industrial production” in a press release. Northvolt highlighted both the existing infrastructure and support in Västerås, as well as the city's cost-effectiveness as key factors in the decision.
Until now, Northvolt has developed its technology through Cuberg, a fully-owned subsidiary in San Francisco. All Cuberg employees have been invited to apply for positions at Northvolt.
The move comes a little more than a month after Northvolt's CEO and founder Peter Carlsson opened up in an interview with Swedish newspaper, Dagens Industri.
He revealed in the interview that the company's expansion plans were being adjusted. Delays in the construction of the first factory in Skellefteå were cited as reasons for the adjustment. Carlsson had previously predicted full production for the first phase in late 2025, but that target has now been pushed back to 2026.
– We have been a little too aggressive in our expansion plans and that is what we are now reviewing. In the current situation, we are looking to focus more on the core of our business. To move forward in Germany and Montreal, it is fundamental that Skellefteå is the mother plant on which the plan is based, Carlsson said in the interview.