Johnson Controls has expanded its Zwickau, Germany, battery plant with a €100m ($136m) investment, making it the world’s largest production facility for AGM batteries.
The plant’s increased production capacity is now 6.6m batteries a year – four times the plant’s output prior to the expansion.
The expansion is the direct result of increasing consumer demand for stop-start vehicle technology. Projections show that by 2018, roughly 80% of all new cars produced in Europe will be equipped with stop-start.
Holger Jetses, Vice President and General Manager of Johnson Controls Power Solutions EMEA, said: “AGM batteries from Zwickau play an important role. With the expansion of our plant, we are prepared for the upcoming requirements.”
The expansion project included the addition of a new production hall, a new logistics building and four new assembly lines, which feature the latest technological standards. The expansion has allowed Johnson Controls to double its employment at the site, from roughly 200 employees prior to the renovation to 400 employees currently.
At the same time, Johnson Controls has reduced the site’s carbon dioxide emissions by 500 tons per year.
