LEINFELDEN-ECHTERDINGEN/BYHALIA (dpa-AFX) - Commercial vehicle manufacturer Daimler Truck and its partners have started construction of their battery cell factory in the US state of Mississippi. The groundbreaking ceremony has been held, the company announced.

On the 500-hectare site in Byhalia, a plant covering more than 185,000 square meters with an annual production capacity of 21 gigawatt hours is now to be built. In mathematical terms, this would be enough for 35,000 electric trucks with a battery capacity of 600 kilowatt hours. A battery of this size is installed in Daimler Truck's current top-of-the-range model, for example.

Start of production planned for 2027

More than 2,000 jobs are to be created in the factory. The start of production is planned for 2027. The plant will initially produce lithium iron phosphate batteries for use in battery electric commercial vehicles.

The associated joint venture Amplify Cell Technologies was already announced last September. Daimler Truck entered into a partnership with Accelera - a division of the US engine manufacturer Cummins - and the US truck manufacturer Paccar. The three companies each hold 30 percent of the joint venture and jointly control it. Chinese battery cell manufacturer EVE Energy is a technology partner with a 10 percent stake in the company./jwe/DP/jha