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HW Vassen To Lead PowerCo SE As New Chief Technology Officer In August 2024
Salzgitter, June 20, 2024 – HW Vassen will assume the role of Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Board of Management at PowerCo SE starting August 1, 2024. This decision was ratified by the Supervisory Board of PowerCo SE today. Vassen, currently Head of Series Development at PowerCo SE, has been instrumental in developing the company's unified cell, set for mass production in 2025.
As Chief Technology Officer, Vassen will oversee technology and product development, as well as testing and analytics at PowerCo SE. He succeeds Soonho Ahn, who is stepping down at the end of July and will continue to advise the Volkswagen Group.
"Soonho Ahn deserves our sincere thanks for all he has done at PowerCo. He built up the technology department and laid the foundation for future market success with the unified cell. He has clearly helped us on our way to become a sustainable, competitive battery company," said Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo SE.
Blome added, "With HW Vassen we have found the ideal successor. He has already played a key role in the development of the unified cell and has extensive international experience in battery development. Under his leadership, we will continue to expand our technological power and innovative strength."
HW Vassen has been Head of Series Development at PowerCo SE since mid-2023. Before this role, he spent six years in China working on battery cells and systems for Volkswagen Group China. Born in 1972, Vassen studied electrical engineering at RWTH Aachen University and has been with the Volkswagen Group since 1999.
Soonho Ahn was born in Seoul in 1960 and earned his PhD in electrochemistry for battery applications from Auburn University in 1992. The 64-year-old has been building up the technology department at PowerCo SE since 2022. Prior to joining PowerCo SE, he was Global Head of Battery Development at Apple.
About Volkswagen Group
The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's leading car makers, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. It operates globally with 114 production facilities across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. The Group employs around 684,000 people worldwide and sells vehicles in over 150 countries.
In 2023, Volkswagen delivered 9.2 million vehicles globally (2022: 8.3 million). The Group's sales revenue for 2023 was EUR 322.3 billion (2022: EUR 279.1 billion), with an operating result before special items amounting to EUR 22.6 billion (2022: EUR 22.5 billion).
About PowerCo
The Volkswagen Group consolidates its global battery activities under PowerCo SE. Based in Salzgitter, Germany, PowerCo manages international factory operations and advances cell technology development. Since its inception in July 2022, PowerCo has announced three gigafactory locations: Salzgitter in Germany, Valencia in Spain, and St. Thomas in Canada.
| Location | Country | Capacity (GWh/year) |
|---|---|---|
| Salzgitter | Germany | 200 |
| Valencia | Spain | 200 |
| St. Thomas | Canada | 200 |
The company plans to expand its product range to include major storage systems for energy grids.
This strategic appointment aims to strengthen PowerCo's position as a leader in battery technology and innovation within the automotive industry.
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