As the Glendale-based company invests over $200 million into expanding production at its factories in Europe, Clarios International said this week that it has teamed with a major European commercial truck manufacturer to develop 24-volt lithium-ion batteries.
It did not disclose the name of the truck manufacturer it is working with.
Clarios, which manufactures advanced low-voltage batteries, said the batteries for heavy-duty vehicles will address trends in the trucking industry that are significantly impacting the low-voltage power network in commercial vehicles and trucks.
Those trends include integrating more electrical devices – such as parking, heating and cooling systems – to enhance driver comfort. Other trends are shifting auxiliaries from hydraulic and air pressure systems to electric ones, and the implementation of brake-by-wire, steer-by-wire and similar systems.
Current energy demands, Clarios said, may require up to 30% more battery capacity during an overnight stay, with improved hoteling comfort features contributing to higher electrical loads and anti-idle limitations resulting in deeper discharge cycles of up to 80% daily. The company said lithium-ion systems are an "excellent fit" for these new demands.
"Battery failure can account for as much as 20% of a truck's downtime," Federico Morales-Zimmermann, Clarios general manager of global customers, products and engineering, said in a news release. He said the new battery "not only addresses this challenge by reducing downtime but also introduces advanced energy-management capabilities that optimize the overall efficiency of fleet operations."
Clarios will market the batteries in Europe and other markets under the Varta brand, the company said.
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The former unit of Johnson Controls produces a range of battery types, from the traditional lead-acid batteries to advanced batteries such as absorbent glass mat, enhanced flooded batteries and lithium-ion batteries. Clarios says the products are well-suited to meet the growing power needs of the increasing number of start-stop, electric, connected and automated vehicles being introduced today.
Clarios, which says it is the world's largest supplier of low-voltage energy systems, is spending $220 million to expand production of advanced batteries at plants in Europe, boosting capacity in the region by 50%, while creating 150 jobs. The new jobs will be in Germany, Spain, Czech Republic and France.
