Nikola moves battery production to Arizona from California

Nikola Corporation is moving its battery manufacturing from Cypress, Calif., to its Coolidge, Ariz., manufacturing facility. The move, which the company expects to complete by early Q3, brings Nikola’s truck assembly, fuel cell power module assembly, and battery module and pack production under one roof and includes battery line automation geared toward improving quality and increasing efficiencies.

The company says it intends to maintain manufacturing operations in Cypress through the end of Q2 2023, while it brings its production capabilities in Coolidge online and works through a detailed transition plan to prevent manufacturing disruptions.

A battery engineering presence is expected to remain in California at a separate facility to focus on the development of Nikola’s next-generation battery management system software and modules.

BorgWarner has agreed to acquire the electric vehicle solution, smart grid and smart energy businesses of Hubei Surpass Sun Electric (SSE). The transaction has an enterprise value of up to RMB 410 million (approx. $59.36 million).

Headquartered in Xiangyang, Hubei province, China, SSE’s electrification business supplies patented electric vehicle charging solutions to customers in China and more than 70 other countries. SSE says it has delivered over 50,000 charging points and has led the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of more than 250 charging station sites. SSE’s charging and electrification capabilities in China are expected to complement BorgWarner’s existing capabilities in Europe and North America, the companies say. SSE’s 2022 revenues for the electrification business are expected to be approximately RMB 180 million (approx. $26.06 million).