SK Innovation has been selected as a supplier of battery cells for electric vehicles of German automaker Volkswagen Group, becoming the group’s third partner, along with LG Chem and Samsung SDI, according to SK Innovation on Wednesday. 

Under the automaker’s road map “E,” Volkswagen plans to unveil 50 types of electric cars by 2025, based on its MEB platform, a modular car platform for electric cars developed by the group and its subsidiaries. It will need battery capacity of over 150 gigawatt hours per year by 2025.

The three Korean battery makers will supply batteries for Volkswagen Group’s electric vehicles in North America and Europe. Chinese firm CATL will be a supplier for the cars in China.

SK Innovation said its annual battery capacity will be around 20 gigawatt hours per year by 2022, when its plants in Hungary and China are completed. It is also reviewing establishing new battery plants in the US and Europe to meet demand from the German automaker. 

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)