The Berlin startup Swobbee has installed a battery changing station at the recently launched first bike logistics hub in Munich. The bike logistics hub is located on the centrally located livestock farm site and consists of several boxes serving as interim storage as well as parking and loading areas. From there, five last-mile logistics service providers are currently delivering private parcels to individuals, and goods and pallets to companies, craft businesses and construction sites using state-of-the-art e-cargo bikes.
At the Munich Viehmarkt bike logistics hub, logisticians can get freshly charged batteries for their cargo bikes from the Swobbee battery changing station.
Thanks to Swobbee’s battery changing station, logistics companies can quickly swap the empty batteries in their vehicles for fully charged ones, ensuring energy supply around the clock. With this battery-as-a-service approach, companies can concentrate fully on their core business, as they do not have to set up and operate their own expensive charging infrastructure, and don’t have to keep spare batteries, therefore saving delivery bike downtime due to charging.
The new logistics center is a project of the Bavarian capital’s mobility department and is maintained by P + R Park & Ride GmbH, a service company for the city of Munich. It is part of the “Urban Logistics” economic transport strategy, a sub-strategy of the “Mobility Strategy 2035”, the roadmap for the traffic turnaround in Munich, and is intended to relieve traffic congestion in the city center, where cargo bikes can be used instead of delivery vans on the last mile to the delivery address. It forms the basis for planning a hub network, for which EU funding will also flow.
Thomas Duscha, co-founder and CEO of Swobbee stated, “Cargo bikes are an essential part of the urban transport transition. With the bike logistics hub, Munich confirms its innovative strength and its reputation as a laboratory for the future. We are very pleased to be able to use our Swobbee stations to help make the last mile logistics processes of the participating companies even more efficient and sustainable”.
The EU risks falling behind in its bid to become a global battery powerhouse, according to a report published by the European Court of Auditors.
It is true that the EU’s industrial policy on batteries has been promoted effectively in recent years. But access to raw materials remains a major roadblock, along with rising costs and fierce global competition. The EU’s efforts to grow its battery production capacity might therefore not be enough to meet the increasing demand, meaning it may fall short of its 2035 zero-emission goal, the auditors warn.
Nearly 1 in every 5 new cars registered in the EU in 2021 had an electrical plug, and the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is to be banned by 2035. This has made batteries a strategic imperative for the EU. But Europe’s battery industry is lagging behind its global competitors, particularly China, which accounts for 76 % of global production capacity. To jump-start the EU’s bid to become a global battery powerhouse, the European Commission published a strategic action plan on batteries in 2018. It has largely delivered the plan’s key instruments to support the sector, including strategic leadership, laws and funding.
“The EU must not end up in the same dependent position with batteries as it did with natural gas; its economic sovereignty is at stake”, said Annemie Turtelboom, the ECA member who led the audit. “By planning to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, the EU is betting heavily on batteries. But it might have the weaker hand in terms of access to raw materials, attractiveness to investors and costs.”
Between 2014 and 2020, the battery industry received at least €1.7 billion in EU grants and loan guarantees, on top of state aid of up to €6 billion authorised between 2019 and 2021, mainly in Germany, France and Italy. But the auditors found that the European Commission has no overview of all public support for the industry, which hinders adequate coordination and targeting.
The EU’s battery production capacity is developing rapidly, with the potential to grow from 44 GWh in 2020 to 1 200 GWh by 2030. However, this projection is by no means guaranteed and could be jeopardised by geopolitical and economic factors.
Firstly, battery manufacturers may abandon the EU in favour of other regions, not least the US, which offers them massive incentives. Unlike the EU, the US directly subsidises the production of minerals and batteries, as well as the purchase of electric vehicles made in the US using American components.
Secondly, the EU depends heavily on imports of raw materials, mainly from a few countries with which it lacks trade agreements: 87% of its raw lithium imports come from Australia, 80 % of manganese imports from South Africa and Gabon, 68% of raw cobalt imports from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 40% of raw natural graphite imports from China. Although Europe has several mining reserves, it takes at least 12-16 years from their discovery until production, making it impossible to respond quickly to increases in demand. However, current contractual arrangements typically secure the supply of raw materials for only 2 or 3 years of forward production. In March this year, the European Commission proposed a Critical Raw Materials Act to address this situation, the auditors note.
Thirdly, the competitiveness of EU battery production may be jeopardised by rising raw material and energy prices. At the end of 2020, the cost of a battery pack (€200 per kWh) was more than double the amount planned. In the last two years alone, nickel has risen in price by over 70% and lithium by 870%.
The auditors also criticise the lack of quantified, time-bound targets. Some 30 million zero-emission vehicles are expected on European roads by 2030 and, potentially, nearly all new vehicles registered from 2035 onwards will be battery-powered. However, the EU’s current strategy does not assess the capacity of its battery industry to meet this demand.
Overall, the auditors warn of two potential worst-case scenarios should the EU battery production capacity fail to grow as projected. The first is that the EU could be forced to delay its ban on vehicles with combustion engines beyond 2035, thus failing to meet its carbon-neutrality objectives. The second is that it could be forced to rely heavily on non-EU batteries and electric vehicles, to the detriment of the European automotive industry and workforce, in order to achieve a zero-emission fleet by 2035.
Background information
In April 2018, the European Commission published its action plan on batteries, with the overall aim of making Europe a global leader in sustainable battery production and use. It covers the different stages of the value chain and sets out goals and tools for achieving them.
The action plan identifies six objectives: (1) securing access to raw materials, (2) supporting European battery cell manufacturing at scale, (3) supporting EU research and innovation on advanced and disruptive technologies, (4) strengthening the EU workforce and skills, (5) supporting the sustainability of the EU battery cell manufacturing industry, (6) ensuring consistency with the broader enabling and regulatory framework.
Special report 15/2023, “The EU’s industrial policy on batteries: new strategic impetus needed”, is available on the ECA website.
In 2021, the ECA published a report on the European infrastructure for charging electric vehicles, which concluded that the EU is still a long way from reaching its Green Deal target of 1 million charging points by 2025, and that it lacks an overall strategic roadmap for electro-mobility.
Comments Off on Greenway completes move into new Taizhou HQ
The LEVA-EU member, who produces battery packs for use in LEV projects, has moved into a new state-of-the-art headquarters.
The new property, based in Taizhou, China, has a footprint of 23,000 square meters, with a total construction area of 100,000 square meters and a workshop area of approximately 64,000 square meters. Alongside existing key staff, the HQ will contain Greenways’ new R&D and Innovation centre, ensuring the company’s lithium-ion battery products are of the highest quality.
Comments Off on New mobility EU pilot project starts with SWOBBEE & URBAN DRIVESTYLE in Berlin
The e-bike manufacturer URBAN DRIVESTYLE and the Berlin GreenTech startup, LEVA-EU member SWOBBEE, announce a partnership and launch an innovative exchangeable battery subscription model for the utility e-bikes from URBAN DRIVESTYLE in Berlin.
The exclusive fat e-bikes in a casual signature look from the Berlin manufacturer URBAN DRIVESTYLE are ideal companions for long journeys in the urban environment – the perfect vehicle for fun, family, friends & work goes every mile. Both the UNI MK CLASSIC and the UNI SWING are developed and handcrafted in Berlin, Niederschöneweide, and are, therefore ‘Made in Germany’. With one charge, both e-bike models cover distances of up to 80 kilometers at a top speed of 25 km/h.
The extensive range of stations offered by the exchangeable battery network provider SWOBBEE is now expanding the UD Bike Community’s radius of use. The utility e-bikes UNI MK CLASSIC and UNI SWING from URBAN DRIVESTYLE are now being delivered with SWOBBEE-compatible AES batteries. If necessary, the battery can be exchanged for a full one at the SWOBBEE changing stations in just a few seconds – the range and operating times are therefore almost unlimited, a great plus in terms of flexibility for commercial customers. The new interchangeable app for iOS and Android and the operator dashboard offer easy access: Drive straight to the station, log in with the app, swap the battery and continue driving. Simple, convenient, and fast. The SWOBBEE station network will be rolled out in all major German cities by 2024.
The SWOBBEE test subscription in combination with the UD e-bikes was presented for the first time at the VELOBerlin – with test rides of over 1000km on the two days of the fair it was a complete success.
“The puristic fat e-bikes from URBAN DRIVESTYLE show that the turnaround in mobility can be really stylish. We are very happy to work together to make the URBAN DRIVESTYLE e-bikes even more attractive as a sustainable, city-friendly mobility alternative through innovative battery-as-a-service offers,” explains Tobias Breyer, Head of Marketing & Co-Founder, SWOBBEE.
“What connects us with SWOBBEE is above all the claim to promote the traffic turnaround through innovative concepts. The flexibility provided by the SWOBBEE exchangeable battery stations is a perfect benefit for our customers. The partnership is therefore an ideal, logical next step for us and we look forward to further cooperation,” says Tilmann Eberhard, URBAN DRIVESTYLE.
Together, the two partners are also implementing a pioneering pilot project that offers a glimpse of the future of urban mobility. The starting signal for the “Berlin Bike Booster” campaign will be given shortly, as part of which the SWOBBEE Sharing Points will be opened for b2c applications for the first time.
A new strategic investor has joined Swobbee – EIT InnoEnergy SE. EIT will provide €3,000,000 of growth capital, a figure that is being matched by Swobbees’s existing investor.
LEVA-EU member Swobbee is a start-up providing multi-vendor, multi-modal battery swapping stations for all types of small electric vehicles. The €6,000,000 injection will allow the German service to further develop and expand across neighboring Europe.
Swobbee co-founder and CEO Thomas Duscha shares, “With EIT InnoEnergy we are very pleased to have such a renowned, globally active partner on our side. This is not only a confirmation of being on the right track, but for us, it is also the starting point to be able to take further investors on board as we now start scaling.”
This new relationship goes beyond simple financial assistance; EIT InnoEnergy is well versed in the establishment and scaling of young tech innovation companies. With its large international network, Swobbee has gained some serious traction alongside its new investor.
“Micromobility plays a decisive role for the transport turnaround in urban areas. This makes it all-important to establish a comprehensive network of high-performance charging and exchange stations for all the different types of vehicles,” says EIT InnoEnergy Transport and Mobility Head, “With its open-manufacturer technology platform, Swobbee has what it takes to take a prominent position in the market.”
Comments Off on Greenway to showcase e-bike batteries at Taipei Cycle 2022
LEVA-EU member Greenway, a leading Chinese e-bike battery supplier, will be attending the Taipei Cycle exhibition 2022. Between 9-12 march, find the Greenway Exhibitor booth in Hall 1 – L0132. Learn more about the event in full here.
Establishing in 2010, Greenway is committed to producing high-performance and eco-friendly batteries. With extensive experience in every aspect of battery production, including design and manufacturing, Greenway has quickly risen to the forefront of the battery market and will be showcasing this excellence at Taipei Cycle 2022.
For 2022, Taipei Cycle will function as a hybrid show – alongside the in-person event, a virtual show will run to the end of March. This structure aims to allow all those restricted by travel logistics to fully experience the event, furthering development and conversation within the cycling industry despite ongoing global challenges.
Comments Off on Provomec upgrades battery assembly, e-bike display and controls
Updates from LEVA-EU member, Promovec:
New Battery Line
Provomec has a new production line enabling the brand to produce battery packs with larger cell format (21700), offering more charge cycles and more energy per volume. This is expected to begin running in October 2021. View the photos on LinkedIn here.
Minimalistic e-bike display and controls
Provomec’s new Smart Grip has integrated display and controls, significantly increasing safety whilst cycling, receiving a Eurobike award for its patented design.
“It is an advanced grip with buttons and a display integrated into the left handle,” explains Promovec spokeswomen Monika Figen at Eurobike. “The grip shows user interactions in the display and has haptic feedback when pressing the buttons.”
After developing LEV battery packs for 2 years, LEVA-EU member VESTEL Electronics is now ready to start mass production.
The IONIA battery solution is equipped with smart BMS board, designed by VESTEL engineers. It is compatible with most of the popular e-bike systems. The team used engineering methods, FMEA and simulation tools to ensure design quality.
VESTEL Electronics have fully automated module production with laser welding equipment, testing facility for the cells and modules. An accredited in-house safety lab ensures quality and long term reliability of the pack. IP66 level sealing is confirmed and 100% tested during production. Every product is checked with an ‘end of line test’ station.
The 540Wh battery pack uses the latest 21700 NCA cells available in the market. These cells have more capacity and are able to deliver significantly higher currents with less heat generation. The pack is also equipped with high quality peripheral components to ensure longer life time. The pack has successfully passed all the requirements of EN50604-1, including salt water immersion and crush tests.
VESTEL Electronics’ rear carrier and in-frame batteries use the same cell and BMS design and will be ready for mass production soon.
Find below a preview of VESTEL´s IONIA Battery Pack Brochure. Please contact İlker Gürtekin by e-mail if you want to receive the complete version at batterysystems@vestel.com.tr
