Chinese EV battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) is expanding partnerships with VDL Bus & Coach B.V. and Quantron AG to optimize local product solutions and services for commercial vehicle electrification in Europe.
The new partnerships are significant to CATL’s overseas strategy in the commercial vehicle business sector, as they enable it to develop a comprehensive and vibrant network for large OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).
CATL has recently signed a contract with VDL Bus & Coach, the European pioneer of electric public transportation. According to the agreement, CATL is going to provide VDL Bus & Coach with its high-energy density battery system based on its standardized product-LFP CTP (cell to pack)-platform. VDL Bus & Coach has been the market leader in the electric bus sector in Europe with a share of 22 percent. Through this cooperation, CATL is able to offer flexible solutions and full life cycle services to electric bus customers in Europe. Moreover, VDL Bus & Coach is going to expand the market share further and move forward to the goal of “Aiming for Zero.” As a product of this joint cooperation, the electric buses will be first launched in the Netherlands in 2020.
With the newly concluded agreement between CATL and Quantron AG, the German company Quantron AG is from now on the authorized distributor and service partner of CATL for commercial vehicles and industrial applications in Europe. As an importer, Quantron AG is authorized as CATL’s dealer to supply batteries in Europe. With standardized CATL battery products, LFP CTP (cell to pack) packs and NMC modules, CATL and Quantron AG will be able to help SMEs to find flexible solutions to meet their needs from sales, integration to after sales, even in low purchase volumes. Supported by the Quantron AG network, CATL is able to further reduce the delivery time, better satisfy local application scenarios and offer solutions for great cost efficiency.
“CATL is committed to driving new energy innovations throughout the world. Providing highly efficient and reliable solutions to electrify commercial vehicles is an essential element for the overall e-mobility market development,” said Li Xiaoning, executive president of Overseas Commercial Vehicle Application. “CATL, VDL Bus & Coach and Quantron AG share the same dedication and passion for e-mobility. We are happy to work together with our partners to bring more values to our shared European customers.”
Different from passenger vehicles, application requirements and working conditions are far more complicated in commercial vehicle electrification, which is ranging from city/intercity buses, trucks, vans and vessels to industrial applications such as forklift and construction machinery.
To better fit in various application scenarios, CATL’s battery solutions with LFP chemistry features, an exceptionally long cycle life and high thermal runaway stability up to 800°C, enable the products’ outstanding performance in TOC (total cost of ownership) and safety. Benefiting from CTP technology, which decreases conventional module parts, the battery pack has higher integration efficiency in 90% and ultimately achieves the system energy density of an LFP CTP pack that is as high as 160Wh/kg. The NMC battery is another optional solution for commercial vehicle electrification, especially for vehicles that have higher requirements for volume efficiency. It powers vehicles with higher energy density for long driving distance applications and profit-driven applications.
Beyond VDL Bus & Coach and Quantron AG, CATL has partnered with Daimler Trucks & Buses and been a part of VWCO’s international alliance, e-Consortium, to promote commercial vehicle electrification around the world.
