Volkswagen US chief warns of industry challenges with EV battery shift

Volkswagen's top US executive has said the country faces major challenges in ramping up battery production to facilitate a shift to electric vehicles (EVS), including attracting skilled workers, mining for key metals and supply chain issues.

NEW YORK

Mr Scott Keogh, chief executive of Volkswagen Group of America, told an Automotive News forum in Washington on Thursday that the move to EVs is the single biggest "industrial transformation in America".

Carmakers and battery companies are committing tens of billions of dollars to building new battery plants and EV assembly plants throughout North America as they scale up electric vehicle production. This move, focusing on vehicles powered by advanced new batteries rather than petrol, requires the United States to overcome a series of challenges, Mr Keogh said.