South Korea’s electric vehicle (EV) battery makers are working to establish their manufacturing facilities in Europe, the fastest growing market for electric cars in the world.

According to the battery industry on Saturday, LG Chem Ltd. is constructing its EV battery plant in Wroclaw in Poland that is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year. It will invest total 400 billion won ($356 million) to build the plant that covers an area the size of five soccer fields. It plans to start production as early as the end of this year. The one-stop production facility will produce battery cells, modules and packs and have a capacity of manufacturing batteries for more than 100,000 units of high-performing electric cars a year.

SK Innovation Co. recently announced its plan to construct a battery plant in Europe to supply batteries to one of its major clients Daimler AG. Last February, the company signed a contract with Daimler to supply lithium-ion battery cells for Mercedes-Benz’s electric cars scheduled to be released this year. It is mulling Hungary or the Czech Republic as candidates for the new factory site. It will break ground within this year and start operation next year.

Samsung SDI Co. completed construction of its EV battery facility in Goed, 30 kilometers north of Budapest, Hungary on May 30. The company aims to start operation in the second quarter next year after finishing quality tests. The plant is capable of producing batteries for 50,000 units of electric cars per annum that will be supplied to European finished carmakers such as BMW and Volkswagen.

Europe is the fastest growing market for electric vehicles. Demand for green cars is increasing rapidly in the European countries that are strengthening their environmentally-friendly policies by toughening car emission regulations.

By Jung Wook

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