Akasol to deliver batteries for Daimler’s Citaro electric bus

German SME Akasol is to deliver all battery systems for the Citaro electric bus by Daimler subsidiary EvoBus. The Citaro is scheduled for serial production before the year’s end while battery development has been running since 2015.

Daimler’s and EvoBus’ Citaro will premier at the IAA this September before getting serial straight after. With the 12 metre electric bus revolving around an electric portal axle and a modular battery set up, Akasol will deliver all batteries.

Up to ten such battery packs can fit into the electric bus. Located on the roof and in the rear of the bus, they can combine to deliver a maximum 243 kWh for the Citaro in the full set up. The batteries have been developed by Akasol in close cooperation with EvoBus as well as Samsung with the work going as far back as 2015.

The batteries inside the Citaro are able to fast-charge and supply all onboard systems as well as the electric drive of course. With the water cooling, the packs are able to supply the electric bus for a range of 150 kilometres in almost any climate. Over the coming years, this range is to be expanded. Winter testing has been commenced successfully in Finland as you can see below.

Akasol’s task for the Citaro is to assemble the power packs, using the cells from Samsung, at their new facility in the German town of Langen, close to its headquarters in Darmstadt. Capable of manufacturing storage systems for up to 3,000 electric buses or an output of 600 MWh per year, Akasol says it is the biggest battery assembly specialising in battery packs for utility vehicles in Europe. The SME invested 10m euros into the implementation of the semi-automatic production line. Akasol also counts Dutch VDL Bus & Coach and British Alexander Dennis among their customers for electric bus batteries.

akasol.com (PI, in German)