The automaker's battery manufacturing division includes the Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, and their various factories in Smyrna Tennessee, Sunderland England, and Oppama, Atsugi, and Zama, Japan.
Envision, who has a focus on recycling and renewable energy, will establish their own battery manufacturing division to take over production, while Nissan will retain a 25 percent stake. This means existing employees will still have a job, thankfully.
Envision will establish a new division responsible for battery manufacturing, in which Nissan will retain a 25 percent stake. The good news for existing workers is that they will continue to be employed, and the headquarters and development centers of the respective sites will also be maintained. Envision CEO and founder Lei Zhang said the following in a statement.
“We are excited to announce the acquisition of Nissan’s battery business, a leading producer of advanced, safe and reliable lithium-ion batteries. With this strategic acquisition and collaboration, we aim to expand our activities via investment into the new company to realize the value of [Internet of Things] technology for smart transportation, [Vehicle-to-Grid], and smart city solutions.”
Nissan had one of the biggest automotive battery productions in the world. Though I expect little will actually change with this deal. If anything, we may see more vehicles reach their production goals sooner as Nissan free's up manpower.
