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Austrian Investor Planning EV Battery-Production Facility

VIENNA, April 8 (Reuters) - Austrian investor Michael Tojner's Montana Tech Components group has plans to set up a major plant in Europe to make batteries for electric cars and has launched talks with German carmakers, the company said on Tuesday.

Should the plan bear fruit, it could lead to a bourse listing for its Germany-based Varta car battery business, a spokeswoman said, confirming media reports.

The company already works with Volkswagen on developing batteries for electric cars.

Should the group get enough orders this year, it could start serial production of electric car batteries by 2017.

Montana Tech Components is a diversified manufacturer with 4,100 staff. It also makes aluminium components for the aviation and other industries and machinery for the metallurgical industry.

It made a 2013 operating profit of 47 million euros ($64.6 million) on sales of 525 million. ($1=0.7277 euros) (Reporting by Angelika Gruber; Writing by Michael Shields; Editing by Greg Mahlich)