VW recruits battery specialist from Apple

Volkswagen brings in additional battery experts. According to media reports, Apple's battery development chief Soonho Ahn has been poached by VW. From BMW, solid-state cell expert Jörg Hoffmann will switch to Wolfsburg. According to 'Manager Magazin', Ahn is considered a superstar in the industry. He had only moved from cell manufacturers Samsung SDI and LG Energy Systems to Apple in 2019 and significantly advanced the Californians' battery technology there. Experts expect that the appointment of the South Korean as 'CTO Battery Division' will lead to short-term improvements in cell technology. Volkswagen expects both progress in possible range and a significant cost reduction.

The VW Solid-State Battery as a Development Goal

Jörg Hoffmann is to take care of future battery generations at Volkswagen. The previous head of the solid-state battery program at BMW will be responsible for the industrial implementation of solid-state battery technology at the company. Frank Blome, head of the Center of Excellence Battery Cell, designated the solid-state battery as the target of the strategy during the company's in-house "Power Day" in March this year. Both managers will likely work in the newly opened laboratory for cell research and development in Salzgitter, which opened just in September.

What does that mean?

The team from Wolfsburg rely on their own development and production – and they also tap into the resources of direct competitors. Volkswagen continues to be electrifying!