KION Starts Production of Lithium Batteries for Industrial Trucks

KION Battery System, a new joint venture of KION GROUP AG and BMZ Holding GmbH, has commenced operations. Modern lithium-ion batteries for intralogistics are being produced and developed on a total area of around 4,000 square meters in Karlstein am Main. Approximately jobs are planned by 2023.

(Frankfurt a. M./Karlstein a. M) The company KION Battery Systems (KBS), a joint venture of KION GROUP AG and BMZ Holding GmbH, has started the production of lithium-ion batteries for industrial trucks. The intralogistics provider and the battery manufacturer announced a strategic partnership and the establishment of their own production facility in Karlstein am Main, the headquarters of the BMZ Group, in the summer of 2019. The aim of the joint venture is to expand the lithium-ion product offerings of the KION Group brands and the production capacities to optimally meet the rapidly growing demand for lithium-ion battery systems in the field of intralogistics, particularly in the EMEA region.

Successful Start

“After the successful start of production, we are now focusing on expanding capacity and developing new battery systems,” says Carsten Harnisch, Managing Director of KION Battery Systems. In the newly constructed production hall, which is approximately 4,000 square meters in size, more than 12,000 batteries can be produced annually on the two new production lines – especially for heavy and high-performance forklifts as well as other industrial trucks of the KION Group brands. In addition, there is an administrative, research, and storage area. “With the new production at KBS, we want to optimally meet the steadily increasing demand for modern lithium-ion batteries and offer customers high delivery reliability,” adds Christian Hasenstab, also Managing Director of the young joint venture. It is expected that the joint venture will benefit from the long-standing and extensive know-how of the JV partners and the consolidation of purchasing activities, particularly for lithium-ion cells. By 2023, KION Battery Systems plans to employ up to 150 employees, mainly in research, development, and production.

Strategic Focus on Energy

As part of its “KION 2027” strategy, the KION Group is also placing special emphasis on energy and energy efficiency, which they believe will significantly shape intralogistics and material flow. The drive technology of tomorrow is the focus of the group’s global research and development activities. KION already offers its customers a full range of drive technologies in its portfolio, from combustion engines to lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries to fuel cells. Electric mobility plays a special role, as the KION Group, with its brands, is an important provider of electrically operated forklifts and warehouse equipment. Over the past ten years, the group has sold more than one million electric vehicles with its brands.

Enormous Advances in Lithium-Ion Batteries

The lithium-ion battery has a special advantage in electric mobility: Unlike the classic lead-acid battery, it does not need to be changed due to short charging times and intermediate charging options. Moreover, the development of lithium-ion batteries has made enormous progress in recent years. They are already an interesting economic alternative in all areas of forklift use, especially in intensive shift operations – even in heavy equipment for transporting large loads. BMZ, founded 25 years ago by the current Managing Director Sven Bauer, has been at the forefront of the development of lithium-ion technology since its inception. The BMZ Group is internationally positioned with a very broad supply chain and offers mature products through long-standing business relationships with cell manufacturers, including stable supply concepts.

About KION Group

The KION Group is one of the world’s leading providers of industrial trucks and supply chain solutions. Its range of services includes industrial trucks such as forklifts and warehouse equipment, as well as integrated automation technologies and software solutions for optimizing supply chains – including all related services. In more than 100 countries, the KION Group improves the material and information flow in production facilities, warehouses, and distribution centers with its solutions. The company, listed in the MDax, is the largest manufacturer of industrial trucks in Europe and the second largest in the world, measured by units in 2019. It is also a leading provider of warehouse automation. The world-renowned brands of the KION Group are well established. Dematic, the newest member of the KION Group, is the world’s leading specialist in warehouse automation, measured by revenue in 2019, with a comprehensive range of intelligent supply chain and automation solutions. The brands Linde and STILL serve the premium market for industrial trucks, while Baoli focuses on the value segment. Among its regional industrial truck brands, Fenwick is the leading material handling provider in France in 2019. Worldwide, more than 1.5 million industrial trucks and over 6,000 installed systems from the KION Group are in use at customer sites across various industries on six continents. The group currently employs more than 35,000 people and generated revenue of 8.8 billion euros in the 2019 fiscal year.

About BMZ Group

The BMZ Group is a global player in the production of lithium-ion system solutions. The group is headquartered in Germany and has additional production facilities in the USA, China, and Poland, as well as branches in Japan, the UK, and France. Furthermore, there are research and development locations worldwide. The product range is broad, from electric vehicles, e-bike batteries, and drive solutions to power and garden tools, medical services, and industrial battery solutions. With its “one-stop-shop” offering, the BMZ Group provides solutions from a single source, from development to prototype construction and in-house testing laboratories – including certifications – to complex line planning for setting up series production. Additionally, BMZ customers benefit from a modern and fast service concept, extensive recycling solutions, and “2nd life applications.” Investments of over 150 million euros since 2018 have doubled and in some cases tripled production capacities. In Germany alone, batteries are produced on a total area of 60,000 square meters. In addition, a central logistics center for the storage of lithium-ion batteries and other hazardous materials with around 12,000 pallet spaces was put into operation in 2020. Approximately 3,000 employees work worldwide for the BMZ Group.
Photo: © KION Group
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