Chinese battery giant CATL breaks ground on Spanish gigafactory with 2,000 workers
Published on Nov 30, 2025 at 3:49 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Nov 30, 2025 at 3:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Chinese battery manufacturer CATL just broke ground for a gigafactory in Spain.
CATL was able to set up the company thanks to a joint venture with Stellantis, which owns a variety of European car brands, including Seat and CUPRA, also from Spain.
The factory will eventually employ up to 6,000 people.
And the hiring process is interesting.
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The company will initially only employ Chinese workers, but there’s a good reason for that
CATL, a major Chinese battery manufacturer, is building a €4.1 million ($4.7 million) gigafactory in Aragon, about 200 miles north-east of the capital Madrid.
This is China’s biggest single investment in Spain, even though it was partly funded (about $350 million) by the European Union.
The new factory will eventually employ between 4,000 and 6,000 people, and the hiring process is intriguing.
Up to 2,000 Chinese workers will handle the initial construction phase and, at the same time, the company will also begin training local workers.
Most will be trained locally, but some will travel to China for special training.
CATL also promised that Spanish hires will eventually make up over 90 percent of the workforce.
CATL wants to revolutionize the industry
CATL created battery packs that you can swap in about 100 seconds.
These batteries are already being used in an electric car that’s only available in China (the Changan Oshan 520 EV, pictured below), but the goal is to make them available for more models in the future, including European EVs.
Battery degradation is something that EV critics often cite as one of the main reasons why they believe that electric cars are just a stopgap measure, so this would definitely be a potential solution to that problem.
These batteries also solve another major problem for EVs: charging time.
The fact that you can replace the battery in 100 seconds means ‘charging’ your electric car takes around the same time as refilling a gasoline car at a gas station.
The batteries also feature ultra-fast charging, which means they can be charged pretty quickly.
It certainly sounds promising.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
