Algerian Battery Manufacturer Friction Tec Becomes Approved Supplier for Locally Produced Fiat Vehicles

Algerian Battery Manufacturer Friction Tec Becomes Approved Supplier for Locally Produced Fiat Vehicles

Algeria’s Friction Tec has been approved to supply batteries for Fiat vehicles assembled at Stellantis’ Oran plant, strengthening local automotive integration and marking a new milestone in the country’s strategy to develop a domestic automotive supply chain through international industrial partnerships.

BY Dr. Hana Saada

ALGIERS — Friction Tec, an Algerian manufacturer specialising in energy storage systems and automotive batteries, has been approved as a supplier of batteries for Fiat vehicles assembled at Stellantis’ Tafraoui plant in the western province of Oran, reinforcing Algeria’s efforts to expand local automotive manufacturing and increase domestic value addition.

The agreement was formalised through an addendum to Friction Tec’s strategic partnership with German battery manufacturer MOLL Batterien, signed during the Algerian-German Business Forum held in Berlin alongside President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s official visit to Germany on 16–17 July.

The company said the approval establishes Friction Tec as a certified supplier to Stellantis, supporting the automaker’s objective of increasing the local integration rate of vehicles produced in Algeria while strengthening domestic industrial supply chains.

The partnership builds on a broader technology transfer agreement concluded in February 2024 between Friction Tec and MOLL Batterien, aimed at introducing advanced German battery manufacturing technology to Algeria. The original agreement was signed in Algiers in the presence of Germany’s then Vice Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck, and Algeria’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies, Mohamed Arkab.

German technology, local manufacturing

Friction Tec Chief Executive Salim Houari said the company now manufactures Advanced Flooded Batteries (AFB), a next-generation technology developed in cooperation with Volkswagen that offers an alternative to conventional Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries widely used in modern vehicles.

According to Houari, the batteries have successfully completed all international certification and conformity tests required to qualify the company as a first-tier supplier to automotive manufacturers.

Supporting Algeria’s automotive ambitions

Operating a manufacturing facility in Oran with an annual production capacity of up to two million batteries, Friction Tec has become part of Algeria’s expanding network of local automotive suppliers providing components to Fiat and other vehicle assembly operations.

The company said the new partnership reflects growing international confidence in Algeria’s industrial capabilities while supporting government efforts to diversify the economy, reduce import dependence and build a competitive domestic manufacturing base.

Beyond the local market, Friction Tec is also preparing to expand exports to African and European markets, in line with Algeria’s broader strategy of increasing non-hydrocarbon exports and positioning domestic manufacturers within regional and international supply chains.

The agreement represents another step in Algeria’s drive to establish an integrated automotive industry by combining foreign technology, local manufacturing and strategic international partnerships to attract investment and enhance industrial competitiveness.