Morocco is getting a giant EV battery facility: Morocco has signed an MoU with Chinese battery maker Gotion High Tech to build a roadmap for setting up a gigafactory for EV batteries and energy storage systems, Maghreb Arab Press reported last week. The project is part of an ambitious plan to localize EV battery manufacturing in the country.

What we know: Under the agreement, Gotion High-Tech will set up a “gigafactory” with investments estimated at MAD 65 bn (c. USD 6.4 bn) in Bouknadel. The facility, which will be the first of its kind in Africa, will have a production capacity of 100 GW/h and will create 25k jobs, according to Alsharq Business.

REMEMBER- Morocco has transformed itself into a regional automotive powerhouse through smart incentives and consistent government policy, and it is now a key exporter to Europe as well as to other MENA countries, including Egypt. It has put together a comprehensive agenda, from developing a national master plan for electric mobility, designating zones where fossil-fuel cars are banned, giving tax exemptions on EVs, to developing the infrastructure through an iSmart charging station. Morocco is targeting the production of around 1 mn EVs in the next three to four years, according to statements by officials last year.