The German manufacturer of heavy vehicles KAMAG Transporttechnik GmbH & Co. KG recently selected Sweden-based Alelion Energy Systems AB to supply Li-ion batteries for the powertrain of one of its heavy-duty truck models.

Our long experience with lithium ion-technology in the forklift industry puts us in a good position to design the power supplies of tomorrow and contribute to the electrification of the heavy vehicle industry. This order is an important milestone and proves that Alelion also plays a central role when it comes to the electrification of heavy vehicles.

—Daniel Troedsson, CEO of Alelion

As part of a joint development project, Alelion will deliver a first batch of batteries in 2018. The remainder of the order, valued at approximately SEK 15 million (US$1.7 million), will be delivered during 2019.

KAMAG’s planned electrified truck is a multi-purpose vehicle to be used with semitrailers and for transporting goods in ports, warehouses, mail- and package handling sites—as well as on production sites and at airports. The driverless version of the KAMAG E-Wiesel AGV (Automated Guided Vehicles) truck is adapted for automated logistic centers.

The multi-purpose vehicle can be configured with a maximum of four battery packs for optimised range and efficiency. The trucks come with several engine alternatives and the battery packs are all based on high-performance li-ion-cells. The applications use high voltage to minimize losses in the electrical powertrain.

The order is an important step for Alelion as it is currently building Sweden’s first large scale lithium-ion battery factory with a capacity of 500 MWh yearly, with its own embedded development resources. The factory will be situated in the midst of the automotive cluster at Hisingen, Gothenburg and is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2018.