Car battery maker ACC halts plant construction in Germany, Italy

The European vehicle battery venture Automotive Cells (ACC) said Tuesday that it was halting construction of two factories in Germany and Italy as it weighs shifting to a less-expensive battery technology.

The new ACC sites are among dozens of battery projects emerging in Europe as it seeks to reduce reliance on Chinese producers that dominate the market.

EV market demand has shifted toward so-called LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, which are less powerful but also less expensive and longer lasting than NMC batteries, and increasingly…