BERLIN, May 8 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel signaled on Tuesday German auto makers could eye battery production for electric cars in Europe.

Merkel made the statement when attending an event in Berlin hosted by the German Academy of Science and Engineering.

Battery production, she said, would form a notable part of the value-added chain for electric cars, so the German auto industry should be involved.

Asian producers take the lead in electric car battery production, as such production in Europe is expensive due to high electricity and personnel costs.

Henning Kagermann, outgoing president of German Academy of Science and Engineering, said there should be at least one European battery factory to avoid "possible dependency".