Karsan orders battery packs from Lion E-Mobility

German battery maker Lion E-Mobility AG has received an order to supply battery packs from Turkish bus manufacturer Karsan. The contract comprises binding orders worth around six million euros, with deliveries expected to start this year.

The agreement, formally concluded with the subsidiary Lion Smart Production, also includes another option worth six million euros. The additional order is also scheduled for delivery in 2024. The split allows Karsan to respond to evolving demands and the rapidly growing market for electric buses.

The firm order reflects “the confidence placed in Lion’s superior battery technology,” the company said.

Lion Smart relocated its production from Dingolfing in Bavaria to Hildburghausen in southern Thuringia in 2023. According to the company, it can assemble around 200 battery packs per day or 50,000 battery packs per year in the assembly opened in June. Lion purchases battery cells and will include cells from the Chinese manufacturer SVOLT – with both NCM and LFP-based cells – by mid-2024. An agreement to this effect dates to August 2023.

“We are thrilled to announce this contract with KARSAN, deepening the partnership,” said Joachim Damasky, CEO of Lion. “This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to shaping a future where clean, electric transportation is the norm. By joining forces, we are poised to make a significant impact in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building a more sustainable world for generations to come.” Damasky was previously managing director at VDA, among others, and only started working at Lion in February.

Karsan is primarily known for its electric minibuses and midi-buses. Since 2021, the portfolio has been expanded to include a battery-electric solo bus in the twelve-metre class and an 18-metre articulated bus. A fuel cell version of the e-ATA model was also presented in 2022.

Lion Smart is a subsidiary of the Swiss holding company Lion E-Mobility AG. The company’s core product is the Lion SE09 high-voltage battery for mobile and stationary applications. Assembly is “almost completely automated”, Lion Smart Production recently announced. Lion’s other customers include Canadian manufacturer Vicinity Motor through Lion Smart North America.

lionemobility.com