• Auto manufacturer and battery maker join forces in pursuit of an electric future

BEIJING: Japan’s Honda Motor will buy a 1 percent stake in Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and the two will jointly develop EV batteries, the companies said.

The move comes at a time when auto manufacturers and EV battery makers are joining forces in pursuit of an electric future. CATL, based in Ningde, said last year that it would develop batteries with Honda and also supply batteries to Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen.

Honda and CATL said they would develop battery technologies and research a battery recycling business. Honda will launch its first EV with CATL’s battery in China in 2022 and will expand the partnership with stable EV battery supply globally in the future.

Honda has struck a number of partnerships to make electric cars, including a joint venture with China’s GAC under which the Japanese automaker began selling its first all-battery EV, the Everus VE-1 SUV crossover, in China last year.

It has also tied up with Hitachi’s auto parts subsidiary to develop, produce and sell motors to be used in petrol hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric cars.

For the North American market, Honda has partnered with General Motors to develop two new EVs. The two are also working to develop hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology.

CATL is building a battery plant in Germany and is considering expanding to North America. It has an office in Yokohama near Tokyo. Its Shenzhen-listed shares closed at about $28.54 on July 10.

—Reuters