Samsung builds its third EV battery factory

Samsung SDI has finished building its third factory for electric vehicle batteries.

The new plant, which is located in Hungary, will begin commercial production during the second half of 2018.

It will have an annual production capacity to cater to 50,000 electric vehicles. The firm has also set up the plant in Europe in order to improve customer service in the region and save on logistics.

Samsung earlier used this plant to make plasma display panels, but it has now been transformed into one that is equipped with technology to produce high-power and high-efficiency EV batteries.

The Hungary plant is the third such plant that Samsung SDI now has for the production of EV batteries, in addition to plants in Ulsan, South Korea and Xian, China.

Speaking at the opening of the new plant, Samsung SDI president Jun Young-hyun said: “For the first time, state-of-the-art technology of Samsung SDI will be applied to batteries to be made in this plant in Hungary.

“Batteries are one of the most important parts supplied to global car makers. I expect the plant to contribute much to the growth of the European electric vehicle market”.