In 12 years, that is, in 2035, sales of gasoline or diesel cars will be banned in Turkey. Europe. Time is short and the automotive industry has accelerated the pace of the transition to electric cars, but most consumers continue to be somewhat skeptical of it, especially due to its high price and shortfalls in charging infrastructure. In parallel, countries and regions associated with this activity they raced to take over a battery factory, The cornerstone for securing the future of this industry and mitigating the impacts the transition to electromobility could have on employment and suppliers.
Aragon, the land of the automobile, is at the forefront of this battle to win a project with these characteristics. In fact, there are serious options for the allocation of one of these investments at full speed and other initiatives, but they have not been closed as of today. There is no doubt that this strategic sector, of which the Stellantis factory in Figueruelas is the epicenter, is one of the most dominant autonomous communities. It represents 6% of GDP, 30% of industrial employment and 35% of exports. In addition, experts agree to emphasize that it is an ideal site for the development of a gigafactory due to its wickerwork.
The struggle between regions and investors became more fierce when it became known recently. HE ministry of industry As part of the second round of aid from Perte of the electric and connected vehicle (VEC), it will launch a special line to encourage the construction of more gigafactories with public funds in Spain. The call is scheduled for June. The central government keeps in the refrigerator the 2 billion 100 million euros that were not allocated in the initial distribution of subsidies for this strategic project, financed by European recovery funds. With this initiative, each battery project can attract 150 to 350 million euros.
a formidable enemy
Who will compete for this juicy money? At least one of the possible candidates for this call has its eyes on Aragon as it is now. Tata Motors. The Indian automotive giant remained between Zaragoza and the UK to find the factory that would manufacture the batteries. electric cars subsidiary Jaguar and Land Rover. Both the ministry and the regional government maintained close ties and contacts to sustain this investment, which included site visits around the Aragonese capital that could accommodate a facility of this category.
The dice have been rolled and it is difficult to predict what the final decision of the group will be, but the opponent in this fight is undoubtedly a heavyweight who will be difficult to win the game. A priori, It seems that the British have more choice, as both brands where the batteries will be used are from their own countries. Add to this the historical ties they maintain with their former colony, India, which is still part of the Commonwealth of Nations. And England’s own first, Rishi Altar, is of indian origin
The enormous renewable energy generation capacity of the autonomous community, one of its biggest assets, plays in favor of the Aragon candidacy, as its rival is no longer part of the European Union and governments value this factor. .supporters of these investments when choosing where to settle.
The other major project under discussion comes from an auto giant that Aragón knew firsthand: stellantis. Although it may seem like it will take a closed case or more years, the possibility of this group developing a gigafactory battery in the Iberian Peninsula is very real today. The CEO of the group dropped it like this, Carlos TavaresDuring his visit to the Mangualde (Portugal) factory earlier this month, he said that the project is in the working phase and will be decided before the end of the year.
In front of the country’s prime minister, Antonio Costa, The boss of the multinational started the ordeal To start a rivalry between Portugal and Spainis looking for the best offer, taking into account factors such as availability of renewable energy, costs and above all support. In the neighboring country, they have already expressed interest in accepting Tavares’ demands and will put on the table low-cost labor and industrial models, green energy and a broad aid framework. Spanish assets: dedicated line for these facilities in Perte VEC, proximity of the group’s main facilities on the peninsula (such as Vigo and Zaragoza) and development of renewable energy sources.
Aragon as favorite
On the Spanish side, Aragon starts out as a favorite for Stellantis’ million-dollar investment attraction, but the company seems to favor Portugal, where Tavares also originates.. The Regional Manager makes no commitments to the development of these negotiations or the options for making a splash with Tata, but assures that they will not throw in the towel for any of the trendy projects.
Aragon had dreamed of owning a battery factory for several years, that wish was about to come true with the largest project ever launched in Spain, the project promoted by Volkswagen and eventually ending in Sagunto (Valencia). It is expected to become reality in 2026.
Outside the community, projects applicable to Perte Vec include Acciona for Extremadura and the Chinese Envision and Slovak Inobat projects in (Valladolid). Chinese BYD also showed interest.