Chinese power battery giant CATL and Germany's Daimler Trucks announced on May 20 an expanded global partnership that will see the former supply batteries for the Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul electric truck starting in 2024.

The two companies will also work together to design and develop next-generation cells and battery packs adapted to the trucks, according to their statement.

CATL will supply lithium-ion battery packs for the eActros LongHaul electric truck, which is scheduled for mass production in 2024, for a supply period beyond 2030.

CATL's battery pack for this model will have an extremely long cycle life and super-fast charging capability to meet the unique requirements of an electric long-haul truck.

To flexibly adapt to different application scenarios and future electric truck models, the two companies will also jointly design and develop next-generation cells and packs with a focus on high modularity and scalability.

Previously, the two companies have signed a global supply agreement for Li-ion battery cells and modules around the Mercedes-Benz eActros, Freightliner Cascadia, and Freightliner eM2 models in 2019.

In September 2020, Daimler Trucks announced the launch of the eActros LongHaul with a range of up to 500 km.

(Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul. Source: Daimler Trucks)

Martin Daum, the Chairman of the Board of Daimler Trucks and member of the Board of Daimler AG, said that a strong partnership is beneficial for meeting the Paris Agreement commitments on climate change and achieving the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality in road transport.

Deepening the partnership with CATL will play a key role in accelerating Daimler Trucks's electrification and leading the trucking industry to zero emissions, Daum said.

CATL is the largest power battery supplier in China, with a market share of about half in the country.

In April 2021, China's power battery installed base was 8.4 GWh, down about 7% from March and up 134% year-over-year, according to the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance.

CATL ranked first, with an installed base of 3.82 GWh in April and a market share of 45.5%.

Notably, this is the first time this year that CATL's market share has fallen below 50%, a new low since July of last year.