SOR e-buses will be equipped by baterries developed and produced by InoBat. (source: Courtesy of InoBat Auto)
Slovakia-based InoBat Auto, developer and producer of customised electric vehicle batteries, signed its first commercial vehicle partnership with the Czech bus and coach producer, SOR in late April. The agreement comes as SOR plans to tap into the shift to electric mobility, which is spreading throughout Europe. InoBat is expected to provide research, development and the production of battery modules, packs and battery management systems.
“The partnership, which brings together Slovakia and the Czech Republic for the greater global aim of the electrification of transport, is an important milestone for InoBat and Europe’s commercial vehicle market,” said Marian Boček, co-founder and CEO of InoBat, as cited in the press release.“The partnership, which brings together Slovakia and the Czech Republic for the greater global aim of the electrification of transport, is an important milestone for InoBat and Europe’s commercial vehicle market,” said Marian Boček, co-founder and CEO of InoBat, as cited in the press release.
Vítězslav Tymr, member of the board of directors of Libchavy-based SOR, one of the largest producers of city- and intercity-buses in central Europe, commented that in the Czech Republic, they have been pioneering electric-driven solutions for their buses long before the topic came to recent prominence.
“We are glad that in InoBat we have found a partner, which is regionally close, yet has the prerequisites to elevate the co-operation to such a level that it has relevance within the European context,” said Tymr.
The framework agreement with SOR represents the first foray into the commercial vehicle market for InoBat, who are developing customised batteries which can be tailored to any electric vehicle using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Throughput Processing (HTP) technology in its R&D process. This patented technology allows InoBat to identify the optimum cell chemistries for any electric vehicle and meet the exact requirements of any vehicle or automaker.
InoBat is building the first-of-its-kind fully integrated R&D centre and pilot line in Voderady, 40 km from Bratislava, where the first batteries will be produced and supplied later this year.
