Mr. Zentgraf, CATL has its sights set on Thuringia, and you are here often these days. Are you a fan of local delicacies like the Thüringer Bratwurst and Köstritzer Schwarzbier?
(Laughs) I quickly realized that Thuringia not only has a lot to offer in terms of business and technology, it also has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine. The whole package is therefore on the money in terms of quality of life – cuisine, culture and nature, it’s all great. And that’s currently an important location factor if we want our staff to feel comfortable here in the long run. Thuringia combines tradition and progress, which is excellent.
Keyword “technological progress”: Is it correct that the availability of renewable energies was also a decisive factor in selecting the location?
Absolutely. For us, a supply of green energy was an essential factor in choosing a location, and the proportion of renewable energy sources that make up Thuringia’s public power supply has already reached almost 40 percent – no other location can keep up with that!
And Thuringia’s strong industrial tradition also helped to win you over?
Yes, like most places in Germany, there was a strong foundation here that has matured over the years. In light of this, we believe that the combination of this long-established industrial tradition and CATL’s expertise in the field of innovative battery technology will be a driver for strong growth in the electromobility industry throughout the whole of Europe. The cooperation with the Ministry and LEG has been excellent so far, and we look forward to the work we will be doing together!
