Czech auto manufacturer Skoda has signed a worldwide agreement with Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanché to expand its EV fleet.
The duo have signed a five-year joint development agreement which will see Skoda Electric source battery solutions for its fleet of electric buses.
Leclanché is to provide its high energy G/NMC batteries and ultra-fast power battery solutions in modular capacities, allowing Skoda to use them in different vehicle sizes.
It is intended that the first batteries will be delivered by the end of this year.
Skoda unveiled its first electric vehicle earlier this year and the firm’s chief executive Jaromír Šilhánek noted Leclanché’s European battery production facility as a crucial element in its decision to sign up with them.
“Leclanché’s solutions and business approach give us ultimate flexibility and scalability, making the company the ideal partner for us to deliver our European electric bus strategy,” he added.
The European electric bus segment is slated to be the second largest market in the world and last year had more than 1,300 vehicles either delivered or placed on order.
Leclanché delivered its first electric bus in 2015 and Anil Srivastava, the battery provider’s chief executive, said the European market was now at a “watershed moment”.
“The industry is set to see considerable growth in the next few years and we look forward to the economic contribution that the agreement with Skoda Electric will make to Leclanché’s transport business,” he said.
Auto manufacturers have been going out of their way in recent months to partner with and extend relationships with battery storage manufacturers. Nissan’s links with Eaton have helped it establish a domestic battery storage solution while earlier this month Renault and Powervault announced a formal partnership for second-life batteries.
