Global demand for batteries is expected to increase 20× by 2040. The Battery Accelerator Team helps companies unlock growth and overcome obstacles to emerge as leaders in this dynamic market.
EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK
Optimizing a gigafactory facility layout
We helped a client identify several opportunities to optimize its gigafactory facility layout. Our experts pressure-tested the client’s floor plan against floor layout best practices to identify and syndicate design optimization opportunities, which, for example, resulted in a 10% footprint savings.

Growing a global gigafactory footprint 24-fold
Our client has multiple gigafactories and is targeting 24-fold growth over the next five years. By leveraging technical, engineering, and design-to-value levers to optimize OPEX and CAPEX, we helped them accelerate their project development schedule, protect their budget from overruns, and streamline their feature prioritization to optimize value and reduce costs.

Optimizing battery procurement costs for an automotive OEM
We helped a leading automotive OEM optimize its battery purchasing strategy for a major vehicle program. Through should-cost analyses derived from teardowns of supplier packs and cells, we developed a detailed cost model to aid negotiations and identified €1,250 in savings per vehicle.

Developing battery recycling business models with 15-30% ROIC
We developed business models across the full battery recycling value chain for a client. Our strategy defines a distinctive value proposition, future target customers, synergistic joint ventures, an optimal geographic footprint, and expected economics.
OUR INSIGHTS
Article
The battery chemistries powering the future of electric vehicles
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Battery chemistry for electric vehicles is evolving rapidly, leading to repercussions for the entire value chain.
Article
How Europe’s residential BESS industry can navigate global competition
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Manufacturers of residential battery energy storage systems in Europe face competitive pressure from players in Asia—and they need to adjust their strategies to stay ahead.
Report - MGI Research
The next big arenas of competition
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Arenas are industries that transform the business landscape. Eighteen future arenas could reshape the global economy and generate $29 trillion to $48 trillion in revenues by 2040.
Article
How batteries will drive the zero-emission truck transition
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Battery electric vehicle technology will be key to reducing road freight emissions and achieving global climate targets.
Article
The battery cell component opportunity in Europe and North America
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Momentum for the battery cell component market is building rapidly in Europe and North America. To capitalize on this opportunity, suppliers will need to tackle several challenges head-on.
Article
The plant as a product: Hyperscaling green capex
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Most capital projects overrun schedules and exceed budgets. A new delivery system for capital expenditures can help reduce costs and increase efficiency for green tech projects.
Article
Enabling renewable energy with battery energy storage systems
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The market for battery energy storage systems is growing rapidly. Here are the key questions for those who want to lead the way.
Article
Battery recycling takes the driver’s seat
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Electric-vehicle demand is accelerating rapidly and so is the need for EV batteries. As these batteries reach end-of-life, significant growth opportunities in the recycling space are emerging.
Article
Battery 2030: Resilient, sustainable, and circular
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Battery demand is growing—and so is the need for better solutions along the value chain.
Podcast
Batteries included: Building and operating sustainable gigafactories
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As the demand for electric vehicles grows, so does the demand for the batteries to power them. Meeting that demand will require more gigafactories to be built at speed and scale.
Article
Power spike: How battery makers can respond to surging demand from EVs
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As the auto market embraces electric vehicles, battery demand is soaring. Bold moves in gigafactory construction, supply chain strategy, and talent acquisition can help industry players get ahead.
Our Experts
Global industry experience across the battery value chain

Stuttgart
Alexandre van de Rijt
Leads the global Battery and Energy Storage Insights solutions, which develop end-to-end perspectives across the entire battery value chain; advises clients in residential, C&I and utility-scale energy storage
Detroit
Steven Prast
Helps clients to plan and launch new product manufacturing through direct Gigafactory experience in battery electric vehicle, charging infrastructure, and solar production.

Austin
Matthew Oswalt
Held leadership role supporting project life cycle delivery of Gigafactories across NA, leading construction and engineering teams ranging in scope from 50M-1BUSD
Detroit
Patrick Scott
Helps automotive OEMs, suppliers, and basic-materials clients compete to win in the electric age; implements major performance transformations and executes battery value chain strategies
Berlin
Clemens Cepnik
Leads clients through battery(pack) industrialization and Gigafactory launch management, based on extensive industry experience in electric powertrain development, industrialization, and manufacturing
Southern California
Dexter He
Enables clients to scale in EV, batteries, advanced industry and sustainability, with first-hand experience across disruptors and industry leaders in Gigafactory industrializations and global supply chains

Stockholm
Johanna Grauers
Serves advanced industry clients in sustainable technology, focusing on operations, strategy, and transformational change
Tokyo
Masaru Tsuchiya
Advises clients across sectors with a focus on climate technologies, materials, and semiconductor; leads client work on operational improvements, growth, transformations, and corporate strategy

Brussels
Nicolo Campagnol
Manager and co-founder of Battery Insights, the McKinsey solution which develops and maintains most tools, models and insights dedicated to the battery industry. His main focus is on battery chemistry, helping clients navigating new trends and assessing new technologies. He holds a PhD in electrochemistry earned between KU Leuven (Belgium) and MIT (USA)

Frankfurt
Alexandre Dochter
Advises clients on battery cell design and specification based on this past experience at Lucid and Renault

Stockholm
Gabriella Jarbratt
Advises incumbents, developers, system integrators and investors on how to find and capture BESS growth and investment opportunities in commercial & industrial and grid-scale-segments.
OUR SOLUTIONS
Battery Insights
Our Battery Insights team, with its 10+ proprietary assets, can provide access to deep market intelligence across the full value chain, covering battery demand forecasts, technology outlooks, insights on recycling, as well as emissions quantification and tracking.
MineSpans
Our MineSpans team is able to provide a detailed modelling of battery raw material supply, costs and GHG emissions on asset level, with 5,000+ assets, including 1,000+ Li, Ni, and Co producing mines and refineries.
Learn more about MineSpans
McKinsey Center for Future Mobility (MCFM)
The MCFM can provide our latest insights on electric vehicle market forecasts. It also provides granular raw material demand forecasts based on component-by-component car market modelling.
Learn more about the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility
OUR Leadership TEAM

Martin Linder
Senior PartnerMunich
Leads the Firm’s Battery Accelerator Team; global colead for the McKinsey Platform for Climate Technologies as well as our sustainability...

Steffen Fuchs
Senior PartnerDallas
Coleader of McKinsey’s Industrials & Electronics Practice, advises companies on strategic questions with a focus on capital productivity,...

Mikael Hanicke
Senior PartnerGothenburg
Advises clients on transformational change across functions, operations strategy and implementation, digital, and advanced analytics...

Dominik Luczak
Senior PartnerTokyo
Supports automotive OEMs and suppliers on procurement, product development, product and portfolio strategy, and holistic performance...

Takehito Sumikawa
Senior PartnerTokyo
Drives company-wide transformations, digital/operation transformations and systematic new business creation projects of global...

Denny Thiemig
PartnerBerlin
A core member of the McKinsey Battery Accelerator Team advising clients along the battery value chain to scale profitably with...

Raphael Rettig
PartnerDallas
Co-leads the McKinsey Battery Accelerator Team and the Capital Excellence practice for Advanced Industries and helps automotive...

Andreas Breiter
PartnerBay Area
Helps clients optimize capital expenditures and material costs while addressing the opportunities ahead as mobility becomes more...

Sören Jautelat
PartnerStuttgart
Leading large scale transformation, shaping and scaling new digital businesses. Co-leads McKinsey’s battery acceleration team...

Jakob Fleischmann
PartnerMunich
Co-leads the Firm’s Battery Accelerator Team and advises clients along the end-to-end battery value chain from raw materials...

Ting Wu
PartnerShenzhen
Serves global automotive and components companies with extensive experience serving global automakers and suppliers