The fully electric VW ID Buzz, is pictured on a production line at a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle plant in Hanover, Germany, June 16, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/top U.S. executive said on Thursday the United States faces major challenges in ramping up battery production to facilitate a shift to electric vehicles including attracting skilled workers, mining for key metals and supply chain issues.
Automakers and battery companies are committing tens of billions of dollars to building new battery plants and EV assembly plants throughout North America as they scale up electric vehicle production. This move, focusing on vehicles powered by advanced new batteries rather than gasoline, requires the United States to overcome a series of challenges, Keogh said.These challenges include attracting enough skilled workers, dramatically boosting and facilitating U.S.
"It comes down to labor, it comes down to the infrastructure, it comes down to the investment," Keogh said. Keogh estimated that the United States is making 150,000-200,000 batteries a year and that seven years from now "we need to be making 8.5 million batteries" annually.