Battery cells, custom lithium-ion battery packs and energy storage systems – developed and manufactured in high-volume series production.
VARTA AG
Ellwangen (DE) · Nördlingen (DE) · Dischingen (DE) · Graz (AT) · Brașov (RO) · Batam (ID)New on Amplifa
Battery technology since 1887
Founded in 1887 and headquartered in Ellwangen, VARTA AG produces and markets a comprehensive battery portfolio: microbatteries (including hearing aid and button cells), lithium-ion CoinPower cells, custom lithium-ion battery packs, household batteries and stationary energy storage systems, up to the integrated overall system VARTA.hybrid.wall. Manufacturing spans from cell production in electrochemical systems such as lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride, alkaline manganese, silver oxide and zinc-air to electronics and software development for battery packs. Development and production follow a continuous process: prototype construction, process development and transfer to highly automated high-volume series production. The Group employs around 4,200 people, approximately 200 of them in research and development, and serves customers in more than 75 countries. Customer industries include medical technology, hearing aids, automotive, robotics, telecommunications, wearables, IoT and smart home. In addition to its headquarters in Ellwangen (DE), there are production and R&D sites in Nördlingen and Dischingen (DE), Graz (AT), Brașov (RO) and Batam (ID).
- Site
- Ellwangen
- Processes
- Battery cell manufacturing (lithium-ion, NiMH, alkaline, silver oxide, zinc-air, lithium primary), Lithium-ion battery pack assembly (CellPac LITE/BLOX/Plus, custom packs), Highly automated high-volume manufacturing of microbatteries, Prototype construction of battery cells, Printed batteries (pilot line), Electronics and software development for battery packs, R&D services for material research/qualification (VARTA Innovation GmbH), Custom battery packs (development through to series maturity)
- Materials
- Lithium-ion (NCA), Lithium iron phosphate (LFP), LiFePO4 (Power Station VP500), Nickel-metal hydride, Alkaline manganese, Silver oxide, Zinc-air, Sodium-ion
- Certificates
- SMETA 4-Pillar Audit, Intertek Workplace Conditions Assessment
- Founded
- 1887
- Employees
- approx. 4,200
- Industries
- Consumer/household batteries, Medical technology, Hearing aids, Automotive, Robotics, Telecommunications/connectivity
- 01
Material research & qualification
- 02
Cell development & prototype construction
- 03
Process development
- 04
Highly automated cell production
- 05
Electronics/software development & battery pack assembly
- 06
Quality assurance
- 07
Sales in more than 75 countries
Electrochemical systems & manufacturing processes
Lithium-ion (NCA)
Basis for CoinPower cells, round cells and custom battery packs with high energy density.
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4)
Used in Power Station VP500 and storage systems with high cycle stability and safety.
Nickel-metal hydride
Button and round cells, among others for hearing aids and automotive applications, manufactured in Ellwangen since 1997.
Alkaline manganese
Primary cells for household and industrial applications, production at the Alkaline Plant in Dischingen.
Silver oxide
Button cells with high capacity for watches and precision-enriched applications.
Zinc-air
Hearing aid batteries with high energy density thanks to optimized foil sealing.
Sodium-ion
Future technology under research as an alternative to lithium systems.
Printed batteries (zinc-based)
Development on a pilot line for ultra-thin batteries from 2022 onwards.
Production and R&D sites
Ellwangen
DEHeadquarters, microbattery production & R&D
- Lot size
- High-volume series, prototypes
- Materials
- NiMH, lithium-ion, silver oxide, zinc-air
- NiMH production (since 1997)
- Fully automated production line for small lithium-ion batteries (since 2015)
- Chemical laboratories
- Prototype construction
Nördlingen
DEProduction & R&D (VARTA Storage, VARTA Micro Production)
- Lot size
- High-volume series
- Materials
- Lithium-ion
- Battery module and system development
- Automation development
Dischingen
DEProduction Alkaline Plant & Packaging
- Lot size
- High-volume series
- Materials
- Alkaline manganese
- Alkaline Plant & Packaging
Graz
ATR&D / material research (VARTA Innovation GmbH)
- Lot size
- Prototypes
- Material research & qualification
- R&D services
Brașov
ROProduction
- Lot size
- High-volume series
Batam
IDProduction
- Lot size
- High-volume series
Products & assemblies
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery cell manufacturing (lithium-ion, NiMH, alkaline, silver oxide, zinc-air, lithium primary)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Lithium-ion, NiMH, Alkaline manganese, Silver oxide, Zinc-air, Lithium, LFP, NCA |
| Lithium-ion battery pack assembly (CellPac LITE/BLOX/Plus, custom packs)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Lithium-ion |
| Highly automated high-volume manufacturing of microbatteriesPlastics | – | – | – | – | NiMH, Lithium-ion, Silver oxide, Alkaline manganese, Zinc-air |
| Prototype construction of battery cellsEngineering | – | – | – | – | Lithium-ion, NiMH, Zinc-air |
| Printed batteries (pilot line)Additive | – | – | – | – | Zinc-based systems |
| Electronics and software development for battery packsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| R&D services for material research/qualification (VARTA Innovation GmbH)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NiMH production | VARTA | – | – | 1997 | Ellwangen |
| Fully automated production line for small lithium-ion batteries | VARTA | – | – | 2015 | Ellwangen |
| Hearing aid battery factory | VARTA | – | – | 2011 | – |
| Pilot line for printed batteries | VARTA | – | – | 2022 | – |
| Alkaline Plant & Packaging | VARTA | – | – | – | Dischingen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & audits
Quality work is supported by in-house safety and chemical laboratories, prototype construction and process development with integrated quality assurance processes. Production sites are regularly audited by independent third parties, including under the SMETA 4-Pillar standard (Brașov 2025, Ellwangen 2026) and the Intertek Workplace Conditions Assessment.
| Evidence | Ellwangen | Brașov |
|---|---|---|
| SMETA 4-Pillar Audit | ||
| Intertek Workplace Conditions Assessment |
Company history
- 1887
Founded by Adolf Müller (AFA) in Hagen
- 1896
AFA batteries pass the cold test (-50 degrees) during Fridtjof Nansen's North Pole expedition
- 1904
Foundation of VARTA Accumulatoren GmbH, Berlin
- 1969
Moon landing – Neil Armstrong's camera equipped with VARTA batteries
- 1997
Establishment of NiMH production in Ellwangen
- 2002
Split of the former VARTA AG into three parts; microbatteries consolidated in VARTA Microbattery GmbH
- 2011
Construction of one of the world's largest hearing aid battery factories
- 2012
Foundation of VARTA Storage GmbH
- 2015
Establishment of a fully automated production line for small lithium-ion batteries
- 2017
Market launch of the wall-mounted storage system VARTA pulse
- 2019
Admission to MDAX and TecDAX
- 2020
Re-integration of the household battery business; IPCEI funding of around 300 million euros
- 2022
Development of a printed battery on a pilot line
- 2024
Market launch of the energy storage system VARTA.wall
- 2026
Insolvency proceedings under self-administration; carve-out of the consumer business as an independent company