Volkswagen takes on Tesla with major electric vehicle push

The world’s number-two carmaker said it wants to have six battery-cell factories up and running in Europe by 2030.

Volkswagen plans to build half a dozen battery-cell plants in Europe and expand infrastructure for charging electric vehicles globally, accelerating efforts to overtake competitor Tesla and speed up mass adoption of battery-powered cars. The world’s number-two carmaker, which is in the midst of a major shift towards battery-powered cars, said on Monday that it wants to have six battery-cell factories operating in Europe by 2030, which it will build alone or with partners. “Our transformation will be fast, it will be unprecedented,” Chief Executive Herbert Diess told those gathered for Volkswagen’s Power Day, which also featured the CEOs of BP, Enel and Iberdrola in an effort to match some of the buzz of Tesla’s Battery Day last September.