Daimler Truck And CATL Partner Up For Electric Trucks

Daimler Truck AG and battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) recently announced an expansion of their partnership to develop electric trucks, after the initial lithium-ion battery cell supply agreement.

Starting 2019, CATL was supposed to supply cells to the Mercedes-Benz eActros, the Freightliner eCascadia, and the eM2. Daimler Truck finally confirmed that CATL will also supply the battery packs for the new Daimler eActros LongHaul expected for series production by 2024.

“Partnerships are vital for us to deliver on our commitment to the Paris Agreement and our ultimate goal of achieving CO2-neutral transport on the roads, on which we are working at full speed,” according to the chairman of the board of management of Daimler Truck AG and member of the board of management of Daimler AG, Martin Daum said.

The supply agreement added to the partnership will extend beyond 2030 and Daimler has great plans to deliver to its customers' electric trucks with batteries that combine high energy density with ultra-long cycle life along with a fast-charging ability that meets the unique requirements of battery-electric long-haul trucks. Daimler and CATL also want to extend their further partnership towards designing and developing more advanced next-generation battery cells and packs for trucks. There are specific applications that require a particular focus on modularity and scalability.

Expanding and strengthening this long-term collaboration with CATL will play an important role in accelerating Daimler’s electrification activities and become a step further towards the zero-emissions truck industry. We should expect a wider range of customer-oriented, innovative series-produced electric Daimler trucks from 2021 onwards.