CATL signs South American battery deal

Business news | October 14, 2019

By Nick Flaherty

Automotive Batteries / Power Supplies

Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has signed an electrification deal with one of the largest producers of trucks and buses in Latin America, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (VWCO).

The long-term strategic cooperation agreement will see CATL provide battery systems for the electrification of VWCO, including battery development, manufacturing, as well as recycle and secondary use. According to the agreement, the partnership will be started with e-Delivery, which is VWCO’s electric vehicle series as well as the first fully electric powered light truck in Latin America. 11 and 14-ton models will be launched to global market in 2020 using CATL’s standard LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery packs,

The electric trucks will use the latest version of the LFP packs for commercial vehicles, which have a long cycle life and high thermal runaway temperature of up to 800°C. These have been verified by more than 300 testing items such as external fires, vibration, crush, and other hazards as well as simulating lifelong working conditions to meet local standards and satisfy the requirements of different real application scenarios, and enable the IP68 level of water/dust proof capability on this standard battery pack.

CATL’s cell–to-pack (CTP) technology includes more than 70 core patents and allows conventional module parts could be removed to increase integration efficiency from 75 percent to 90 percent, and to ultimately achieve a system energy density that as high as 160Wh/kg. This design uses an integrated cooling plate to ensure the battery pack is suitable for the hot and humid environment in Brazil.

The partnership is also a part of the e-Consortium, an alliance established between VWCO and selected suppliers for facilitating access to electric technology in the commercial vehicle (CV) sector. CATL is the only lithium-ion battery supplier in that alliance.

“We are constantly leveraging our strong technological position and global presence through providing highly efficient and reliable battery solution to e-mobility. Beyond the success in passenger vehicle field, we keep extending the successful experience and expertise to electric trucks as well,” said Zhou Jia, President of CATL. “Cooperating with VWCO and being a part of the e-Consortium are the key elements of realizing our shared commitment in global sustainable development.”

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