So following on from this Volvo EV Truck article, plus a few more i Dug up on the subject, it got me wondering where / who would be their Battery Supplier for those Class 8 battery-electric Volvo Trucks /23 battery-electric VNRs, so i decided to do a bit of Digging, as we all know that EV Cars are well and truly "Taking Off" thanks mainly to Tesla, we also know that many International Cities are now turning to EV Buses, and now it seems the next logical step forward is EV Trucks, thanks mainly to Volvo by the sound of it, as
“Volvo Trucks is leading the way in electric transport globally,” said Keith Brandis, vice president of partnerships and strategic solutions, Volvo Group. “We relied a great deal on the technological know-how of our sister company Volvo Buses, which has already built over 5,000 hybrid and electric vehicles, and on Volvo Trucks’ production of all-electric, medium-duty vehicles in Europe.”
Volvo Group Chief Technology Officer Lars Stenqvist noted that the project is rolling out in applications areas where it makes business sense.
“We are moving into segments where it will be financially viable to embrace electrification,” he said.
“We want to prove that [battery electric vehicles] can cover the routes we now do in diesel trucks.”
“Transportation cannot just continue to grow as it is today. We need to come up with other solutions, and for one simple reason: The planet cannot cope with an extrapolation of what we are doing today.”
Transportation and population density are both continuing to grow globally, he said.
Climate change, regulation and consumer demand will force the trucking industry to slash carbon emissions, other pollution and its noise footprint, he said.
The project includes the 23 battery-electric Volvo VNR heavy-duty trucks, 29 other electric vehicles such as yard trucks and forklifts. The Volvo trucks will run between the Inland Empire in cities of Ontario, Chino and Fontana and the massive combined Long Beach and Los Angeles port complex. They will travel routes of 75 to 175 miles.
“This is what it takes to transform this critical freight-hauling sector,” said California Air Resources Board chair Mary D. Nichols. “This project will put more ultra-clean, zero-emission trucks on the roads and highways of communities like Fontana and Ontario that are heavily burdened with growing diesel truck traffic.”
The public/private partnership includes 58 public and private charging stations, two colleges developing electric truck maintenance programs and 1.8 kWh of solar energy generation.
Additionally, both of the big ports are providing infrastructure planning. TEC Equipment, a private Volvo truck dealership group, will provide maintenance and leasing centers in Fontana and La Mirada.
Dependable Highway Express and NFI are the first customers. NFI also is participating in an early test of Daimler’s Freightliner eCascadia heavy-duty trucks.
Volvo is using the program to commercialize its electric trucks. It plans to launch sales of the vehicles later this year and ramp up production at its New River Valley, Va., factory in 2021.
The company is investing $400 million in the factory, in part to allow for production of electric trucks.
SELLING THE TRUCK
The truck company is figuring out how to market the truck. One possibility is to offer VNR Electric with a single monthly lease payment that will include maintenance and insurance.
But it will also sell the vehicle if that’s what a customer wants, said Brett Pope., Volvo’s director of electric vehicles, North American.
Volvo has not released any price information except that the truck will be eligible for various California incentives that could top $150,000. The incentives alone are about equivalent to the price of a new diesel VNR.
Volvo also will provide consulting services to help customers manage an electric fleet and charging needs.
THE DESIGN
The electric VNR has dual electric motors mated to a two-speed gearbox. Volvo placed the motors in the center of the truck rather than at each wheel because of high forces axles must withstand. Some truck manufacturers place motors at each wheel in their designs. But Volvo believes its design will be more durable.
Volvo located the electronics and controls in a modular power box under the hood – the former home of the diesel engine in a conventional vehicle. That allows for easy access and service. Battery packs slide into shelves on each side in the chassis. Technicians can remove and service the batteries without lifting the body off the truck, again easing access.
The company said working with the carriers and the dealership will allow it to figure out how the range of the trucks changes depending on factors such as load, traffic and weather.
The project is critical to transitioning freight hauling to a green industry, said Janice Rutherford, supervisor of San Bernardino County’s second district.
That’s critical for the industry because “trucks are the lifeblood of both the Southern California and the nation’s economy,” Rutherford said.
www.trucks.com/2020/02/11/volvo-launches-electric-heavy-duty-truck-program/
www.ttnews.com/articles/electric-vnr-models-hit-streets-vtna-partners-accelerate-ev-program
So after a bit of Googling i found out they were sourcing their Batteries from this German Mob,
AKASOL - who the Hell are they you ask ?
AKASOL - Only the leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance lithium-ion battery systems,
That's Who
"With a total capacity of up to 5 GWh in the new Gigafactory 1 in Darmstadt, AKASOL is well positioned to be able to deliver the quantities agreed with our serial customer in the coming years. In addition, the new Gigafactory 1 will be an important basis for the further expansion of our production capacities in North America, where we will install Gigafactory 2 with almost identical production equipment from the beginning of 2022.
www.akasol.com/en/news-akasol-manz-order
"Our goal is to make Hesse a forerunner in the energy transition,” added Dr. Philipp Nimmermann, State Secretary of Economics, Energy, Transport and Housing. "The expansion of electromobility is a key factor in this. This applies not only to passenger cars but also to buses and trucks, with powerful batteries a key to this success. We are therefore very pleased that AKASOL is strengthening the development of its battery storage systems in Hesse by investing millions into its new headquarters. The move also shows that AKASOL's use of our funding innovation program has started great things at the company."
www.akasol.com/en/news-akasol-headquarters-ceremony
AKASOL enters North American market with new production facility
Barry Matherly, President and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership, added:
“The Detroit Region is thrilled to have been selected by AKASOL for its first US battery production facility for the commercial vehicle market. The company is a global leader in the design and build of e-mobility solutions and our team is pleased we were able to demonstrate a highly compelling business case around the strengths of the region.”
AKASOL’s new Michigan production facility will have a similar capacity to the company’s current series production site in Langen, Germany. Initial production, which is due to begin in 2020, will focus on the 2nd generation AKASystem OEM PRC battery system, with high energy density battery systems following soon after. By 2021, AKASOL expects production to have increased to 400 MWh in a three-shift operation.
Roy Schulde, President of AKASOL’s US subsidiary AKASOL INC., added:
“Two thirds of the initial capacity of our new US production facility will cater for new customers, with the remaining third dedicated to our existing customers. The high-performance lithium-ion battery systems manufactured at the site will be developed, tested and produced by highly-qualified engineers and be used on projects across the transportation sector, which is seeing ever-increasing electrification solutions entering the market.”
With almost 30 years’ experience in battery systems technology, AKASOL develops and manufactures high-performance lithium-ion battery systems for buses, commercial vehicles, trains, industrial vehicles and the marine sector. The German-based company made its successful initial public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in June 2018, employs 180 people across its two sites in Darmstadt and Langen and is due to start construction of its new, significantly expanded headquarters in Darmstadt in July 2019.
AKASOL’s commitment to quality, performance and flexibility is reflected in its top-tier European customers. Daimler subsidiary EvoBus uses the company’s battery systems in its Mercedes-Benz eCitaro electric buses, while French railway giant Alstom includes them in its Coradia iLint hydrogen trains. AKASOL also has history in North America, having supplied battery systems to Canadian mining technology company Medatech since 2017.
www.akasol.com/en/news-akasol-location-usa
AKASOL receives another long-term order from one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers
AKASOL received a large follow-up order from one of the world´s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers with a total volume in the high three-digit million-euro range.
From 2021 until the end of 2027 the Company will supply the third generation of high energy battery systems for various electric vehicles of the globally operating customer and safeguards AKASOL’s dynamic growth within the upcoming years. The total order backlog rises to approx. EUR 2 billion until 2027.
"We are proud of the confidence that our long-term customer has once again placed in us to expand our highly successful cooperation and that AKASOL remains supplier for a strategically important e-mobility component for various electric vehicles manufactured by this global player," said Sven Schulz, CEO of AKASOL AG.
AKASOL already supplies the first generation of the high-performance lithium-ion battery system AKASystem OEM PRC with a storage capacity of 50 kWh to several business units of the customer. It will be followed in 2020 by the second-generation of the AKASystem OEM PRC system with 66 kWh of storage capacity and the same size as the first-generation system but provides approx. 30% more energy and is capable to be fast charged.
From 2021, AKASOL will then additionally deliver the third generation of battery systems with very high energy density mainly focusing on range applications. The so-called AKASystem AKM CYC has the same geometrical dimension as the two previous generations but with an increased storage capacity of approx. 100 kWh per pack, thus providing twice as much energy compared to the battery systems of the first generation. The increased storage capacity is achieved by AKASOL’s newly developed cylindrical cell module type AKAModule CYC.
Depending on the installed storage capacity the new battery system technology enables ranges for electric buses or trucks of up to 700 km in real operation and thus meets almost all electrical range requirements of the commercial vehicle industry. Additionally, the third generation also remains capable of fast-charging and can be charged at up to 500 kW. The battery systems will be produced at the new headquarters in Darmstadt starting in 2021, and in new AKASOL US-Facility in Detroit, Michigan starting in 2022.
"In the coming years, AKASOL will be making massive investments in the expansion of our production capacities as announced during the IPO process. In addition to an annual production capacity of 800 MWh at the Langen site for 2020, we will be able to offer an additional 2 GWh of production capacity at the new Darmstadt headquarters starting in the second half of 2021. Together with the planned US production lines, AKASOL will have a total production capacity of up to 5 GWh per year as of 2022. This will enable us to remain the leading manufacturer of commercial vehicle battery systems in Europe and probably also in North America," said Sven Schulz, explaining the course of expansion in the coming years.
www.akasol.com/en/news-akasol-order-gen3
AKASOL nominates Samsung SDI as supplier for two serial projects with leading global commercial vehicle manufacturers
AKASOL has significantly expanded its relationship with leading battery manufacturer Samsung SDI, nominating the Korean company as supplier of lithium-ion battery cells and modules for two large serial orders for leading global commercial vehicle manufacturers.
The two companies signed an agreement to this effect at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. Under the agreement, Samsung SDI will supply lithium-ion battery cells and modules with a total volume of 13 GWh to the German battery system manufacturer from 2020 through 2027.
www.akasol.com/en/news-akasol-samsung-sdi-2019
AKASOL presents its latest solutions for buses and coaches at Busworld 2019
More and more fleet operators are opting for alternative powertrain technologies: The European market for hybrid and electric buses is forecast to grow by more than 26% annually, with demand for high-performance battery systems suitable for specific requirements growing fast. AKASOL will be presenting three innovations from its portfolio of safe and high-performance lithium-ion battery systems for all-electric and hybrid city, intercity buses and coaches at Busworld 2019 in Brussels (Hall 5, Stand 530) from October 18-23, 2019.
The future flagship of the Company is the high-energy battery AKASystem AKM CYC, which will be produced at the new headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany starting in 2021 and at the new US headquarters in Detroit (USA) starting in 2022 as part of a recently agreed production order from a leading global commercial vehicle manufacturer.
The lithium-ion battery AKAModule CYC used in this third-generation system achieves an energy density of approx. 221 Wh/kg with the aid of liquid-cooled, scalable battery modules. They can be easily integrated, making it the leader in the field of liquid-cooled battery modules. With this high-energy solution for long-distance applications, AKASOL sets new standards for any bus applications in terms of energy content.
All-electric city buses, for example, can be equipped with battery capacities of between 600 and 1,000 kWh, depending on vehicle size, and thus have twice the storage capacity of today's battery generation.
The new AKASystem AKM CYC can also be rapid charged at a rate of up to 1C and is therefore also suitable for use in a rapid charging infrastructure with a maximum output of up to 500 kW. This enables manufacturers to recharge their vehicles to up to 80% capacity in just 45 minutes and fully recharge them in approximately 1.5 hours.
The battery module AKAModule CYC will be available in two standard versions.
The small version (AKAModule 64 CYC) is the same size as the standard PHEV VDA battery module and is heat regulated by means of internal cooling plates. The large version (AKAModule 150 CYC) has an integrated liquid cooling structure, enabling highly efficient heat management of every battery cell, even in larger module designs.
AKASOL decided to use special 21700 round cells to achieve the high energy density as well as the required charging and discharging capacity. These are specially designed for use in professional and commercial applications with respect to calendar and cycle life.
AKASOL can thus exceed the price-performance ratio and availability of other currently available technologies, while at the same time increasing the energy density by about 30-40%. The solution is also suitable for quick charging, which enables maximum operating time of commercial vehicles – an important customer request.
www.akasol.com/en/news-akasol-busworld19
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Daimler Puts First eCascadia Electric Trucks in Service
Daimler Trucks North America delivered the first of its electric Freightliner eCascadia Class 8 trucks this week.
The deliveries of the electric version of the nation’s best-selling heavy-duty truck mark the beginning of what Daimler and others in the industry expect to be a long transition to electric trucking.
Penske Truck Leasing and NFI, a motor carrier, each took one of the eCascadias into their fleets. Daimler will deliver a combined 18 more trucks to the companies in the coming months. Penske and NFI will use the vehicles to test the integration of battery-electric trucks into large-scale fleet operations.
The companies are working in partnership with the South Coast Air Quality Management District in Southern California to improve air quality in the region. The agency is providing a $16 million grant to partially fund the program.
“We are excited to be a part of this groundbreaking project that will directly impact local Southern California communities, especially those disproportionately impacted by air pollution,” said Wayne Nastri, South Coast AQMD’s executive officer.
“We hope to see large scale deployments of similar zero-emission trucks that will have significant environmental and health benefits across the entire state,” he said.
Penske will run eCascadias in daily delivery operations within California’s Inland Empire.
The electric trucks will make multiple, daily store deliveries on a dedicated route.
NFI will use the eCascadias in drayage operations at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The program is the “cornerstone of Daimler Truck North America’s strategy to rapidly develop and deploy battery-electric trucks,” said Roger Nielsen, chief executive of the truck manufacturer.
Penske and NFI will provide Daimler with feedback that it will use to create the final design of Freightliner’s electric truck models, he said.
The Freightliner eCascadia and smaller Freightliner eM2 are part of Daimler Trucks’ global electrified truck initiative. Penske is already testing the eM2. Daimler has more than 100 electrified trucks and buses on the road globally.
www.trucks.com/2019/08/21/daimler-puts-first-ecascadia-electric-trucks-in-service/
With it getting Bigger by the Truckin' Day by the look of it atm
Keep on EV Truckin' by the sound of it, well into the Future
Food for thought
Cheers
Frank
p.s - so where's all this Truckin' Lithium for the Truckin' future coming from i wonder ?
Not to mention the Cars & Buses etc etc etc
