VW to intensify talks with Northvolt on battery project
Volkswagen is intensifying talks with Swedish startup Northvolt on plans to jointly build up battery cell production in Salzgitter, near its headquarters in Lower Saxony, one of its board members told German newspaper.
Volkswagen earlier this month pledged to spend 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) on the project, which it says depends on certain economic pre-conditions, such as subsidised electricity.
In an interview published on Saturday, Volkswagen board member Stefan Sommer told BoersenZeitung he was confident that battery cell production in Salzgitter would be realised.
"We will intensify our talks over the next weeks with regard to a more detailed planning," he was quoted as saying, adding Volkswagen
a was also looking at other locations in Europe for potential battery cell production, not specifying further.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen announced the addition of a new service called "We Experience" to its "Volkswagen We" digital ecosystem in Germany. The new feature provides personalized recommendations and special offers for products and services available in the vicinity of the vehicle. The service rolls out with well-known partners such as Shell, Domino's or Tank & Rast. IBM technology is used to deliver tailor-made offers based on users' individual profiles. "We Experience" is available in the "VW Connect" app.
Activated with the user's consent, "We Experience" locates the vehicle via the user's smartphone, and identifies relevant offers in the vicinity. A proprietary algorithm developed by IBM gives the user tailor-made recommendations such as tips and deals for restaurants, shops or services which the user then confirms. This is how "We Experience" learns what offers are user-relevant. These may take the form of recommendations for favorite restaurants located nearby, or special deals for carwashing, etc. Well-known partners at the rollout of "We Experience" already include Shell, Domino's and Tank & Rast. The new service will be constantly expanded to include further recommendations and trading partners. The app will display the individual offers for the user who can then redeem them online or on site.
"VW Connect" is a free smartphone app that has been available for iOS and Android operating systems since last year. The app is already used by more than 560,000 customers in 17 countries. A piece of hardware called DataPlug links up the vehicle with "We Connect" and is compatible with more than ten million Volkswagen vehicles manufactured from 2008. The DataPlug is a standard fit on some Volkswagen models, such as the up! T-Cross, Polo and Sharan. If it has not already been fitted it can be purchased as an accessory for €39.50 (recommended retail price in Germany). The small connector is simply plugged into the onboard diagnosis interface (OBD-2) of the Volkswagen. An encrypted Bluetooth connection is set up between the DataPlug and the smartphone - and the Volkswagen becomes a connected car.
"VW Connect" transmits vehicle data to the smartphone - for example, mileage and tank level, driving style analysis and tips on efficient driving behavior, or the current location. If desired, the app also becomes a digital logbook and offers the user various challenges, such as a certain number of trips at very low engine speed.