VW Caminhões e Ônibus and CBMM sign an unprecedented partnership for the development of automotive batteries with Niobium

Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, a pioneer in the development and serial production of electric trucks in Latin America, and CBMM, world leader in theproduction and sale of Niobium products, enter into a new partnership to encourage electric mobility. The agreement aims to develop and apply ultra-fast recharge batteries for use in electric vehicles designed by the automaker. The use of Niobium for this purpose is unprecedented in the global automotive industry.

The agreement with CBMM is strategic, as the company is consolidated as a world reference in the development of new technologies with Niobium for lithium ion batteries, with the potential to provoke profound changes in the industry in the coming years. Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus will use its expertise to establish the behavior of these batteries in the vehicle, with all the safety and quality parameters to achieve the expected performance.

The company executive adds: “the technology that will be used in the batteries is the result of more than three years of research and development in partnership with Toshiba, in Japan. For the first time we are implementing this solution, which, due to the use of Niobium oxide in the battery anode, will allow an ultra-fast charging operation in less than 10 minutes, greater durability, lifetime and safety. This is, without a doubt, an important milestone for
CBMM and for Brazil”.

To realize all these benefits in the application, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus will develop the controls for operating the Niobium battery in the vehicle. “There are passenger transport modes, such as buses, that require fast loading, and this new technology has great potential to meet these demands in an efficient manner,” says Roberto Cortes.

In addition to the battery interface and parameters, the automaker will develop and manufacture the 100% electric vehicles that will be used in this project. During the testing phase, VWCO will monitor and acquire real-time data, conducting vehicle application studies. It is also in charge of implementing the ultra-fast charging infrastructure and preparing the entire chain with driver training, safety guidelines and support in the development of bodies.