Volkswagen and China’s Gotion will deepen their partnership through three European battery joint ventures spanning Spain, Slovakia and Morocco. Gotion will invest €1.1 billion ($1.25 billion) for a 49% stake in Volkswagen battery unit PowerCo’s Valencia plant, which will remain majority-owned by PowerCo and become a European production hub for lithium iron phosphate batteries. PowerCo will invest €470 million for 49% stakes in Gotion’s cell factory in Šurany, Slovakia, and a new cathode-material facility in Kenitra, Morocco. Volkswagen, Gotion’s largest single shareholder with a 24% holding, also agreed to sell a 5.3% stake worth $373 million to an unnamed buyer. The moves come as Chinese companies expand in Europe amid expected EU measures to protect industry from cheaper imports, including Chinese electric vehicles. Volkswagen is also cutting 100,000 jobs and reducing its investment portfolio as part of a major restructuring.