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Valmet Automotive

Coordinates: 60°48′32″N 21°26′45″E / 60.80889°N 21.44583°E / 60.80889; 21.44583
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Valmet Automotive Inc.
Company typeIncorporation
IndustryAutomotive industry
Contract manufacturing battery manufacturer
Founded1968; 56 years ago (1968) in Uusikaupunki, Finland
Headquarters
Uusikaupunki
,
Finland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Olaf Bongwald (CEO)
ProductsManufacturing service provider to the automotive industry; passenger car contract manufacturing, supplier for development and manufacturing of battery systems as well as a supplier for roof and kinematic systems
ServicesAutomotive contract manufacturing
Revenue€2,9 billion (2021)
OwnersPontos Group (38,46%), Tesi (38,46%), Contemporary Amperex Technology (23,08%)
Number of employees
5,000[1] (2021)
Websitewww.valmet-automotive.com

Valmet Automotive (formerly known as Saab-Valmet) is a Finnish vehicle contract manufacturer and supplier for the development and production of battery systems as well as a supplier for roof and kinematic systems.[2]

In its development, the Valmet Automotive Group focuses on electromobility with the development and production of battery modules and complete battery packs for electrified vehicles. In addition to the vehicle plant in Uusikaupunki, the company operates battery plants in Salo and Uusikaupunki in Finland; a third battery plant in Kirchardt, Germany will go into operation in 2022. Valmet Automotive has sites in Finland, Germany and Poland. The largest shareholders in Valmet Automotive Group are the Finnish state investment company Tesi and Pontos Group, each with a 38.46 percent stake. 23.08 percent is held by China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL).

Expertise

Valmet Automotive Factory

Valmet Automotive has three business lines: Vehicle Manufacturing, EV Systems, and Roof & Kinematic Systems.

In vehicle manufacturing, Valmet Automotive's customer references include Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Saab, Opel and Fisker.[3][4] Valmet Automotive has electric vehicles in series production since 2009. In July 2021 Valmet Automotive announced to be selected to build long-range solar cars for Lightyear.[5] Valmet Automotive has also announced the manufacturing contract with Sono Motors for the Sion model in 2022.

In July 2012, Daimler AG and Valmet Automotive announced a manufacturing agreement Mercedes-Benz A-Class for the Uusikaupunki, Finland, plant. Production began in August 2013. A contract for the production of the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class was announced in November 2015. The GLC production started in February 2017.[6] In March 2017, Valmet Automotive announced the manufacturing contract with Daimler AG for the next generation Mercedes-Benz compact cars.[7] While the production of the GLC ended in 2022, Valmet Automotive announced a manufacturing contract for the Mercedes-AMG GT Coupé.

In the EV Systems business line, Valmet Automotive operates two battery pack production facilities in Salo, Finland, and in Uusikaupunki, Finland.[8] The battery plant in Salo, Finland started large-scale production of 48-volt systems in 2019, and the expansion to include production of high-voltage batteries was completed in the summer of 2021. The battery plant in Uusikaupunki was opened in September 2021; high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles are manufactured there under one roof with vehicle production. A third battery plant in Kirchardt, Germany, is under construction and will open in 2022. Valmet Automotive also has sites for battery testing and engineering in Bad Friedrichshall, Weihenbronn, Munich and Turku (Finland).[9]

In 2010, Valmet Automotive took over Karmann's roof business and continued operations at the Osnabrück, Germany, and Żary, Poland sites. In 2016, it was decided to expand the Roof Systems business to include Kinematic Systems. Kinematic Systems comprises the development and production of spoiler systems to reduce fuel consumption and optimize the range of electrically powered vehicles. The product range also includes kinematic solutions for electric vehicles such as electric charging flaps. The customer reference list of the Roof & Kinematic Systems business line includes brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Mini (BMW Group), Bentley, McLaren Automotive and Porsche.[10]

History

Saab-Valmet Factory in 1986.

Saab-Valmet was established in 1968 as a joint venture of Finnish Valmet and Swedish Saab-Scania. The automotive plant was placed in Uusikaupunki, Finland and assembled only Saabs for the first eleven years. Between 1979 and 1985, Valmet also assembled Talbots; a total of 31,978 such cars were built in Finland.[11] Valmet were only really interested in building the compact Simca-Talbot Horizon, but the French company required Valmet to also assemble the larger (and slow selling) 1307 before they would license the Horizon.[12] Unlike Saabs, the Simca-Talbots were only meant for local consumption, although a clause in the contract allowed for the possibility of exports if parts made by the thirty local suppliers began to be exported to Talbot's main plants. Domestic parts content increased to thirty percent within a half year of manufacture commencing.[12]

In 1992 Valmet became the sole owner, and the company was renamed Valmet Automotive in 1995. From 1999 to 2010, the sole owner was Metso, after which both Finnish Industry Investment (Tesi) and Pontos Investments bought 34% of the company's shares.[13] On November 4, 2010, Valmet Automotive bought Karmann’s roof-component sections in Osnabrück, Germany, and Żary, Poland.[14] In January 2017, CATL became a 23,08% minority stakeholder in the company,[15] the other shareholders being Pontos and Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment).

Production

Present production

Past production

Future production

  • Car models produced in Uusikaupunki, Finland
  • Saab 95
    Saab 95
  • Saab 96
    Saab 96
  • Saab 99
    Saab 99
  • Saab 90
    Saab 90
  • Saab 900 CD (Long Wheelbase Model)
    Saab 900 CD (Long Wheelbase Model)
  • Saab 900 Convertible
    Saab 900 Convertible
  • Saab 9-3
    Saab 9-3
  • Saab 9-3 Convertible
    Saab 9-3 Convertible
  • Saab 9000
    Saab 9000
  • Lada 21093 EuroSamara Baltic
    Lada 21093 EuroSamara Baltic
  • Talbot Horizon GL
    Talbot Horizon GL
  • Talbot Solara
    Talbot Solara
  • Talbot 1510
    Talbot 1510
  • Opel Calibra
    Opel Calibra
  • Porsche Boxster
    Porsche Boxster
  • Porsche Cayman S
    Porsche Cayman S
  • Th!nk City
    Th!nk City
  • Fisker Karma
    Fisker Karma
  • Mercedes-Benz A-class
    Mercedes-Benz A-class
  • Mercedes-Benz GLC-class
    Mercedes-Benz GLC-class

References

  1. ^ "Valmet Automotive starts recruiting campaign of 500 carbuilders". Valmet Automotive. 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
  2. ^ "Valmet Automotive at a glance". Valmet Automotive.
  3. ^ "Report: Fisker Karma full production delayed to February 2011". green.autoblog.com. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  4. ^ "Valmet Automotive announces a Letter of Intent for an Assembly Contract with Fisker Automotive". Valmet Automotive.
  5. ^ "Valmet Automotive entering into manufacturing contract with EV brand Lightyear".
  6. ^ "Valmet Automotive receives manufacturing contract for Mercedes-Benz GLC". Valmet Automotive. 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2016-09-24.
  7. ^ "Valmet Automotive will manufacture also the next-generation Mercedes-Benz compact cars" (Press release). 2017-03-22. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  8. ^ "battery systems".
  9. ^ "Extension of Valmet Automotive's battery testing facilities progressing rapidly".
  10. ^ "actuating".
  11. ^ "Valmet Automotive Uusikaupunki, Finland: From 1968 on". Motor Car History. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06.
  12. ^ a b Kurki-Suonio, Hannu (1979-10-18). "Se on nyt Talbot" [It's Talbot now]. Tekniikan Maailma (in Finnish). Vol. 35, no. 17/79. Helsinki: TM-Julkaisu. p. 111. ISSN 0355-4287.
  13. ^ "Company history". Valmet Automotive.
  14. ^ "Pontos and Finnish Industry Investment to develop Valmet Automotive with Metso; First step is the acquisition of Karmann´s convertible roof business". wallstreet-online.de. 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-06.
  15. ^ Forsell, Tuomas (2017-01-30). "Chinese battery maker CATL buys stake in Finnish car supplier". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
  16. ^ Impact has started - Lightyear 0 has gone into production
  17. ^ "Mercedes-Benz Classe-A sarà prodotta anche dalla Valmet". Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  18. ^ "Porsche's Finnish success story: 227,890 Boxsters and Caymans". valmet-automotive.com. 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
  19. ^ "THINK City production starts at Valmet Automotive". valmet-automotive.com/automotive. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  20. ^ Valmet Automotive Sopimukseen sähköatovalmitstaja Sono Motorsin kanssa (in Finnish)
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60°48′32″N 21°26′45″E / 60.80889°N 21.44583°E / 60.80889; 21.44583

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