In the most recent setback to Europe’s attempts to gain market share in the electric vehicle industry, a union spokeswoman told AFP on 21 August that Porsche’s battery manufacturing company would lay off the majority of its employees. According to IG Metall spokesman Kai Lamparter, the Cellforce Group subsidiary would lay off about 200 of its 286 employees.
Union Confirms Layoffs Amid Market Struggles
Official notification has been sent to the authorities, Lamparter added. He went on to say that it is reasonable to believe that notices will be sent out on August 25. A Porsche spokesman declined to comment on claims of layoffs, and Cellforce did not reply to AFP’s request for comment. Typically the most costly component of an electric vehicle, batteries have emerged as a major point of contention for automakers and the larger automotive industry.
China’s Dominance in EV Batteries
However, Chinese battery giants like CATL and BYD have made it difficult for European companies to establish themselves, which has raised concerns about the long-term viability of the continent’s auto industry.
European Battery Industry Under Pressure
Typically the most costly component of an electric vehicle, batteries have emerged as a major point of contention for automakers and the larger automotive industry. However, Chinese battery giants like CATL and BYD have made it difficult for European companies to establish themselves, which has raised concerns about the long-term viability of the continent’s auto industry.
The most well-known battery manufacturer in Europe, Northvolt of Sweden, declared bankruptcy in March. US competitor Lyten is currently purchasing the majority of its assets. In April, Porsche announced it will scrap plans to increase battery production at Cellforce, citing lower-than-expected demand for EVs.
The Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer itself warned workers in July that its business model “no longer works in its current form” due to intense competition in China, a crucial market, after announcing 1,900 job losses in February.
Layoffs Across the Tech and Auto Industry in 2025
With big companies like Google, Microsoft, and others continuing to reduce their workforces, layoffs in the tech sector are not expected to halt in 2025.
Companies are still cutting employees in an effort to simplify operations, save money, and emphasise automation and artificial intelligence, even though these figures are much lower than the major layoffs that occurred between 2022 and 2023.
Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks layoffs in the industry, reports that 93 organisations have laid off nearly 23,500 tech workers so far this year, and the number is still growing. Google and Microsoft are apparently contemplating a new round of layoffs, according to the most recent job reduction reports.
According to reports, AI-led restructuring and performance-based terminations are part of the corporations’ goals to increase the effectiveness of their personnel.
Quick
Shots
•Union confirms Porsche’s Cellforce
Group will lay off ~200 of its 286 employees.
•IG Metall spokesperson Kai Lamparter
said notices are expected to go out by August 25.
•Company declined to comment, while
Cellforce did not respond to AFP’s request.
•EU automakers face challenges
competing with China’s CATL & BYD, raising doubts about Europe’s battery
sector.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Ample.
When it comes to widespread electric vehicle adoption, the concept of charging can’t be ignored. Are chargers produced in sufficient quantity? Will these chargers charge the cars fast enough?
Billions of dollars have been spent on producing batteries that can handle fast charges and chargers that can charge vehicles in less time. At least the United States is talking about battery swapping for cars and trucks.
Ample is among the few top-recognized startups involved in an energy-efficient battery-swapping business. In this article, you will uncover all about Ample, its products, startup story, founders, growth, funding, partners, investors, and more.
Ample is a United States-based company that offers an energy delivery solution that is as fast, convenient, and cheap as gas and powered by 100% renewable energy. This economical, rapidly deployable, and widely accessible platform delivers a full charge to different electric car models within a few minutes.
Ample serves customers worldwide in Japan, Europe, China, San Francisco, NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other locations.
Ample – Industry
Ample is serving the battery-swapping market where companies provide services letting electric vehicle (EV) owners exchange depleted batteries with fully charged ones at specialized stations. The global market size of the battery-swapping industry is projected to grow from $210 million in 2022 to $1,664.44 million by 2032, with a CAGR of 23% during this period.
The idea of battery swapping gained renewed interest recently due to governments and car manufacturers pushing for EV adoption. Apart from Ample, Better Place, Tesla, Amara Raja, Numocity, BattSwap Inc., and Sun Mobility are some key players in the battery-swapping industry.
Ample – Founders and Team
John de Souza and Khaled Hassounah founded Ample in 2014.
John de Souza
John de Souza completed SB & SM in EECS from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA in Finance from College des Ingenieurs. He has been a Board member at Health eVillages. At present, he is the Dignity Health Foundation Board Member at Dignity Health.
In addition, he holds the role of Global Leadership Council Member at Boston University of School of Public Health and Advisory Board Member at Tivity Health. John is the founder and President of Ample Inc.
John de Souza – Co-founder and President, Ample
Khaled Hassounah
Khaled Hassounah graduated with a B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Jordan. He worked as Principal Software Architect at One World Software Solutions and Director of Engineering at IMlogic Inc. Moreover, he has been the Director of the Middle East and Africa at One Laptop Per Child.
In addition to co-founding Ample Inc., he co-founded MedHelp and remained Board Director at KarmSolar. Currently, he is working as Ample’s CEO.
Khaled Hassounah – Co-founder and CEO, Ample
Ample is a team of over 150 technologists, designers, and environmental enthusiasts from 24 different countries speaking 14 different languages.
Ample – Startup Story
Ample is a startup that rose from the ashes of its unsuccessful predecessor, Better Place. When electric vehicles had an ‘uninspiring’ range a few years ago, many companies toyed with the idea of equipping cars with swappable battery packs. It’s when Shai Agassi started a business called Better Place to revolutionize the nascent electric vehicle market. However, by 2013 the company went bankrupt.
After some time, John de Souza and Khaled Hassounah thought of reviving the battery-swapping business model and came up with the company named Ample. The company introduced an electric vehicle charging system. Moreover, it quickly deploys robots to replace small modular battery packs in electric cars. Unlike Batter Place, which used to build expensive battery stations, Ample created stations built in a space with two parking spaces’ width.
In 2021, Ample worked with five OEMs and validated its approach to battery swapping with nine different car models. In addition, the company supported level one and level two charging options. The company completed 2.4 million+ battery swaps for Chinese drivers in May 2021.
Ample aims to solve the energy delivery challenge for electric transportation with autonomous robotics and smart-battery technology. Its mission is to make it possible for every individual to have ‘Electric Cras for Everyone.’
Ample – Business Model
Ample’s concept is straightforward, i.e., instead of pulling up an EV to a charging station to get more power, the enterprise proposes the idea of installing Ample’s modular battery packs in the vehicles, which can be swapped out at specific stations.
Ample produces future-proof modular batteries that can adapt to any EV. These EV batteries are made of Lego-like battery modules that are flexible enough to accommodate any make, design, model, or driving profile.
Moreover, a combination of computer vision and secure wireless communication with the automobile is used by Ample Station to identify the exact location of each battery module that is to be swapped. The discharged battery modules are removed from the vehicle and charged again to use in the next car.
Ample – Revenue Model
Ample generates revenue by producing, deploying, and installing energy-efficient EV modular batteries and providing access to its battery swapping stations.
Ample – Products and Services
Ample provides EV modular batteries for cars and trucks of varied make and models and battery swapping stations. Moreover, the company offers Ample App to the drivers of its partner fleets.
Ample – Challenges Faced
Ample’s battery charging system is unlikely to succeed as a consumer-focused system but could make sense for only commercial vehicles.
Ample – Funding and Investors
Ample has undertaken 5 funding rounds to raise $290.7 million. Its latest funding round – Grant Round, was conducted on February 28, 2023, and raised $15 million. 15 investors fund Ample; the main ones are Blackstone Group, Moore Strategic Ventures, and Shell Ventures.
Date
Round
Number of Investors
Money Raised
Lead Investor
February 28, 2023
Grant
–
$15 million
–
November 10, 2021
Private Equity Round
2
$50 million
Blackstone Group
August 19, 2021
Series C
8
$160 million
Moore Strategic Ventures
February 13, 2020
Series B
–
$34.7 million
–
August 6, 2018
Series A
8
$31 million
Shell Ventures
Ample – Patents and Trademarks
Ample is registered with 4 patents, primarily categorized into the ‘Vehicles In General’ class. In addition, the company has 3 registered trademarks, and ‘Machines and Machine Tools’ is the most popular class.
Ample – Growth
The estimated annual revenue of Ample was $71.9 million per year ($463,703 per employee), with a $890 million valuation in August 2021. Moreover, the monthly web visits grew by 47.96%, with 32,623 visits. And its employee count elevated by 50% last year.
Introducing Ample: A New Way to Deliver Energy to Any Electric Vehicle
Ample and Uber plans to extend their partnership to Europe to electrify half the rides booked across seven European capitals, including Amsterdam, Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, and Lisbon, by 2025.
FAQs
What does Ample do?
Ample offers an energy delivery solution that is as fast, convenient, and cheap as gas and powered by 100% renewable energy. This economical, rapidly deployable, and widely accessible platform delivers a full charge to different electric car models within a few minutes.
Who are the founders of Ample?
John de Souza and Khaled Hassounah founded Ample in 2014.
