Cars.co.za report offers interesting insights
Cars.co.za recently launched Industry Report 2026 at its DealerCon summit, offers insight into the forces shaping South Africa’s vehicle market.
- Dealer News
- 22 September 2026
The auto battery parts joint venture between Volkswagen's PowerCo and Belgian materials firm Umicore has chosen Poland as the site for its first factory, the German automaker announced on 7 October, according to Reuters.
Through the R56 billion joint venture, dubbed Ionway, first flagged in December 2021, the companies are joining a number of European automakers that have brought battery supplies closer to home in the shift towards electric vehicles.
The Polish government is providing R99 billion in cash grants for the investment in the southwestern town of Nysa that will create around 900 jobs, it said.
Ionway wants to build up its annual production capacity by the end of the decade to around 160 gigawatt hours (GWh) a year – enough for 2.2 million electric vehicles.
PowerCo – whose Poland initiative comes after VW set out plans in April to invest up to R99 billion to build a car battery plant in Ontario, Canada – said it had decided on Poland because the location was strategically favourable, plus there was sufficient skilled labour and renewable energy sources for production.
Construction work will begin as soon as the permitting process is completed, it said.
Ionway is intended to supply PowerCo's European battery cell factories with key battery materials and to cover a large portion of PowerCo's needs in the European Union. In return, Umicore will receive secured access to an important part of Europe's demand for cathode materials for electric vehicles.
Cars.co.za recently launched Industry Report 2026 at its DealerCon summit, offers insight into the forces shaping South Africa’s vehicle market.
Nissan has introduced the Tekton, a new compact SUV for the South African market. The model is built on the Renault‑Nissan alliance’s CMF‑B platform and is closely related to the Renault Duster, sharing engines and mechanical components.
At the recent DealerCon 2026, hosted by Cars.co.za automotive excellence was celebrated by honouring top executives in the automotive retails industry.
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