Daimler Buses and BMZ Poland to develop next-gen NMC4 electric bus batteries

Daimler Buses and battery systems expert BMZ Poland, a key entity in the BMZ Holding group, have entered into a strategic partnership for the development and supply of the next generation of e-bus batteries.

Together with Daimler Buses, BMZ will further develop the existing battery technology specifically for the requirements of electrically powered buses. The new battery generation NMC4 – succeeding the current NMC3 technology – will combine high energy density, resulting in a longer range for e-buses, with an ultra-long cycle life. Customers of Daimler Buses will benefit from NMC4 batteries from the middle of the decade.

Michael Klein, Chief Operating Officer Daimler Buses, said: “The collaboration between our companies combines two important aspects: Daimler Buses’ expertise in bus development and manufacturing as well as BMZ’s know-how in heavy-duty lithium-ion battery solutions. I am excited to see the development of an outstanding new generation of batteries for our electrically powered buses. This collaboration marks an important milestone in the shift towards zero-emission public transport across Europe.”

Tomasz Jankowski, General Manager of BMZ Poland: “Development and production of the best-in-class e-bus systems has been our strategy for a decade. We are proud to be able to work with Daimler Buses. I personally treat this nomination as an award for the consistent strategy of growth and investment into the electric bus market. Now, together with Daimler Buses, we will be able to implement this strategy on a much larger scale.”
”We will extend our production in Gliwice, making this facility the first of its kind in the EU built for the purpose of bus battery production along with a fully automatic assembling line,” added Paweł Kępski, Head of Business Unit EV, BMZ Poland

Daimler Buses’ e-roadmap

Daimler Buses states that it is consistently pursuing a clear e-roadmap across all segments. Electrically powered city buses have already been in series production since 2018; intercity e‑buses are to follow as of the middle of the decade and electrified coaches by 2030. With this, Daimler Buses aims to offer locally CO2-neutral models based on batteries or hydrogen in every segment by 2030. The focus is initially on the core markets of Europe and Latin America. The plans are for only locally CO2-neutral new vehicles to be sold in the core market of Europe by 2039. In the city bus segment, this is expected to be the case in Europe as early as 2030.