France-based Forsee Power, a leading player in smart battery systems for the electromobility market has announced that it was selected by Japan’s Kubota as a partner for the battery development to equip their micro-hybrid engines for light construction and agriculture vehicles.
Kubota is a leading global player in industrial engines below 100 HP and also one of the major manufacturers in off-highway vehicles. More than half of their engines are sold to other OEMs and exported.
Forsee Power says this is the first significant deal for the company in the highly growing off-highway market. The company says it is driven by its expertise in developing battery systems and leveraging the availability of a comprehensive offer for the electromobility markets, and will develop the battery solution for Kubota’s 48V micro-hybrid Engine.
According to the French company pure electrification is not the only possible solution to meet emission reduction targets; hybridisation is also an effective and viable approach for many vehicle categories.
After a year of R&D, Forsee Power says its engineers have developed a new high-power Forsee Pulse solution integrating lithium titanate oxide (LTO) cells known for their long lifespan and very high-power characteristics, ideal for the hybrid applications. It has been designed to comply with the Kubota’s specifications, which include battery installations in various types of vehicles of the customers, such as machinery for construction, agriculture, material handling.
Sebastien Rembauville-Nicolle, general manager – Business Development, Forsee Power said: “We are very excited to work along with Kubota, one of the global leaders in the off-highway vehicles market. This is an important step forward for us in this promising market, and also the first development project for a Japanese client, who is known to manufacture very high-quality products. It’s a big achievement, and our team is extremely motivated to go beyond Kubota’s expectations.”
Forsee Power Group says it has a strong industrial footprint designed to support its customers’ needs globally. It has manufacturing sites in Europe (France and Poland) and in Asia (China and India) which host automated battery assembly lines whose production capacities – currently 1 GWh – increase annually to serve the strong demand for both heavy and light electromobility.
The company says it is committed to mitigate climate change with zero-emission solutions to power mobility and has made off-highway vehicles a key area of development for 2021. The electrification of this market is expected to multiply by 7 in the next seven years and will have a great impact on people and the environment. Indeed, the battery is not just about reducing CO2 emission; it also improves overall health conditions at work as it does not emit any noise or vibration.
Lead image credit: Kubota Corp
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