AKASOL AG opened its Gigafactory 1, Europe's factory for commercial-vehicle battery systems. The factory has a production capacity of up to 1 GWh in the first phase of its expansion and will gradually expand to 2.5 GWh by late 2022. In the first expansion phase, the new AKASOL Gigafactory 1 will produce Li-ion battery systems for commercial vehicles on highly automated and fully networked production lines with an annual production capacity of 1 GWh. The commissioning of further production lines will boost production capacity to up to 2.5 GWh in the coming year. Depending on customer requirements, this can be expanded to up to 5 GWh. This makes the new AKASOL Gigafactory 1 by far the largest production location for Li-ion battery systems with commercial-vehicle applications in Europe. Once it is operating at full capacity, the facility will be able to produce battery systems for more than 10,000 commercial vehicles each year. The company is investing more than EUR 100 million in this location. The AKASOL campus spans more than 20,000 square meters (approx. 215,000 square feet) in the southwest of Darmstadt and is conveniently located near German federal motorway A5 and the hub of Frankfurt am Main. The 15,000-square-meter (approx. 161,000-square-foot) two-level production, assembly and logistics hall is also home to a test and validation center for the testing of cells, modules and systems, ensuring the highest standards of quality. A 600 kWp solar plant feeds the production facility and offices as well as the German state of Hesse's largest charging-station park for electric vehicles, featuring more than 60 charging stations. The new offices in the 7,500-square-meter (approx. 81,000-Square-foot) headquarters adjacent to the production hall offer a working environment for the more than 300 employees in research and development, sales, product and project management, purchasing and administration. The open-plan concept promotes collaborative work and employee interaction.