Auto group Volkswagen plans to build six factories in Europe for the production of batteries for electric cars.

The factories must be operational by 2030 and ensure that the German company can fulfil its ambition to become the world’s largest electric car manufacturer.

The factories must have an annual battery production capacity of 240-gigawatt hours in total, which the company intends to build itself or together with a partner. That is enough generation capacity to supply nearly 700,000 homes with electricity every year.

“Electric mobility has become a core activity of ours,” said CEO Herbert Diess at Volkswagen’s so-called “Power Day”, at which the plans were unveiled. According to Diess, the factories will ensure the long-term supply of high-quality batteries to the company. Volkswagen already has two sites for factories in its sights, Germany and Sweden, and is looking at opportunities for the rest.

The company also announced that it intends to work with the oil and gas group BP and the energy companies Enel and Iberdrola to expand the European charging station infrastructure for electric cars. Experts see a lack of charging stations as an obstacle to the massive transition to electric driving.

Rival Tesla is expected to install a dedicated battery factory at its new large auto plant near Berlin currently under construction.