No one can doubt the inevitability of the ongoing shift towards electric vehicles. Nor can anyone doubt its importance in decarbonising individual mobility, at a time when the planet is constantly sending us warning signals. Proof of the irreversibility of this movement can be seen in the fact that the barriers to vehicle electrification are being lifted one by one. Slowly but surely: charging infrastructure, purchasing prices thanks in particular to targeted policies (low-income consumers via social leasing, company fleets, etc.), visibility on European standards, etc.
 

The future of the automobile is therefore electric. But one crucial question remains: who will manufacture the batteries for European cars? Asian players, particularly Chinese giants, as is already the case for 99% of them? At the risk of putting the strategic independence of European car manufacturers solely in the hands of BYD, CATL, LG, etc.? ACC's 2,300 employees have been fighting every day for more than five years now to show that alternatives exist. That it is possible to design and manufacture batteries ‘made in Europe’. Without arrogance. With a resilience that commands respect. And with a keen awareness of the immense challenges that remain to be overcome in order to ensure the long-term viability of the young European battery industry. To these 2,300 women and men who fly the flag for ACC, I want to reiterate my pride in how far we have come, just as I want to reaffirm my confidence in our ability to continue moving forward (as we have done since day one), against all odds.
 

• Yes, the ramp-up of our Gigafactory in Hauts-de-France is taking longer and costing more than anticipated, and is weakening our financial position. But we are too close to our goal to give up now. Several thousand Peugeot, Opel and DS vehicles (to name but a few brands) are already equipped with ACC batteries, which are unanimously recognised as being at the cutting edge of technology. Our production lines are currently producing twice as many modules as they were two months ago. Our scrap rates, the lifeblood of this industry, are steadily decreasing thanks to the many actions we have taken and the internal and external resources we have mobilised.
   
• Yes, the electric vehicle market continues to grow, but less quickly than expected. As a result, European car manufacturers (including our two customers Stellantis and Mercedes) are suffering from the high level of uncertainty surrounding this market, which has been made unstable by fierce competition from China. The electrification of their ranges is continuing, but the very strong voluntarism of the years 2023 to mid-2025 has given way to a certain form of pragmatism and even caution on their part. This reality is imposing itself on us and impacting us. It is reflected in our clients' nervousness and, consequently, in delays in the implementation of new medium/long-term projects. As a result, part of ACC is operating at the intense pace of the ramp-up mentioned above, i.e. the mass production of batteries already developed and fine-tuned by the ‘upstream’ part of the company. Meanwhile, the other part of ACC, the ‘upstream’ part, made up of teams based in Bordeaux-Bruges and Nersac, is experiencing a decline in activity proportional to the delay in our portfolio of future products. We know that this decline is temporary, but it requires the adoption of appropriate measures, such as the use of short-time working.
   
•  Yes, we are helping to build a European industry by favouring supplies from within the European Union and France whenever possible.
   
• Yes, committing to building new Gigafactories in Germany or Italy would be totally irresponsible, in such a context. Especially when we know for certain that new Gigafactories will not be ‘loaded’ with new products for years to come. This is the purpose of the recent opening of a constructive dialogue with the German and Italian teams at ACC, with a view to working on the terms and conditions for the possible termination of our projects in Kaiserslautern and Termoli.
   

We have repeatedly said that the European battery industry is at a turning point in its young history... and this is now the case. In September 2024, the Draghi report had already reminded Europeans that reindustrialisation means first and foremost investing heavily in strategic sectors. Eighteen months after this diagnosis, the Competitiveness Compass, the central political translation of this report by the von der Leyen II Commission, is still only a framework for guidance. There is an urgent need for action to turn it into a massive financial instrument worth €750-800 billion per year, as recommended by the former central banker.

Public authorities and private innovators, it is by joining forces that we will succeed.