KION Battery Systems Begins Lithium-Ion Battery Production
KION and BMZ Group’s KION Battery Systems production facilities start to produce lithium-ion batteries for industrial trucks.
In 2019 KION Group and BMZ Holding GmbH entered into a strategic partnership that focused on the creation of their production facility in Karlstein am Main. The joint venture, KION Battery Systems (KBS), is being utilized to expand the production capacity of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).
LIB systems are quickly growing in demand in the intralogistics market, and in particular, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. The KION Group has recently announced that the KBS production facilities have started the production of LIBs for industrial trucks.
Image used courtesy of KION
LIBs are the on-trend technology for use in electric vehicles (EVs) due to high energy density, good high-temperature performance, and increased power per mass battery unit. The high amount of energy available for the reduced weight of LIB battery designs can enable EVs to travel further with a single charge. For high-payload trucks that operate in busy facilities, LIBs are also an attractive and cost-effective option.
KBS
The new 4,000m² factory building at KBS will house a production line that can manufacture 12,000 batteries a year. These batteries will be primarily used for powering high-payload and high-performance forklifts and industrial trucks made by the KION Group brand companies. By 2023, the KBS workforce is planned to expand to 150 employees that are to work within research, development, and production areas supporting the facility.
Image used courtesy of KION
In a recent news release, joint Managing Director of the new venture, Christian Hasenstab commented: “The new production facilities at KBS will allow us to meet the increasing demand for modern lithium-ion batteries and offer customers a highly reliable supply of products.”
The BMZ Group has 25 years of experience in the development of LIB technology and has established an international network of business leaders and cell manufacturers from which to access stable, robust, high-quality products. Together, BMZ and KION will unite favorable expertise for generating in-demand battery technology for future transport innovations.
