- For the first time, the brand foresees the assembly of the charging infrastructure and battery lifecycle management of electric trucks
- ABB and GDSolar are the new members of the e-Consórcio and join CATL, Moura, WEG, Bosch, Meritor, Semcon, Siemens and Eletra
The e-Consórcio and e-Delivery mark the beginning of a new era of products and solutions for the transport and logistics ecosystem. Innovation is in the DNA of Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and, together with world-class partners for the business, it starts to offer a true consultancy for the feasibility of electric mobility.
To this end, new companies have joined the e-Consórcio: ABB and GDSolar that arrive to offer charging and clean energy solutions. They join CATL, Moura, WEG, Bosch, Meritor, Siemens, Semcon and Eletra to transform the transport industry in Brazil.
In line with the brand’s tailormade concept, a specialized team from the assembler and its partners will always be ready to guide customers on the best charging and energy solution for the application, aiming at the best total operating cost.
Launched in 2019, the unprecedented e-Consórcio provides from the assembly to the recharge infrastructure and battery lifecycle management of these trucks, leveraging the entire supply chain in an integrated manner. Thus, it facilitates access to electrical technology in commercial vehicles. The e-Consórcio follows the Modular Consortium model, a unique production system in the world and revolutionary since its creation.
Among the activities of each e-Consórcio partner are:
- CATL and Moura, for the supply, management, distribution, maintenance and final disposal of batteries.
- Siemens and ABB, to supply infrastructure and chargers.
- GDSolar for clean energy supply.
- Bosch, WEG and Meritor for component supply.
- Semcon to provide engineering services.
- Eletra as a strategic partnership.
Innovation everywhere, with relevant investments
Learn a little more about the activities and investments made by the e-Consórcio’s partners.
CATL and Moura: supply, management, distribution, maintenance and final disposal of batteries
Together, CATL and Baterias Moura supply the lithium-ion battery systems and their components, but responsibility goes far beyond that. Moura and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus are working together on the proper final disposal and recycling of the batteries, following the best market practices with a focus on environmental sustainability.
The entire process will start with the collection of the battery at the dealerships and, after a technical evaluation, it will go through a preparation process to proceed to proper disposal and recycling.
CATL, the largest manufacturer and leader in the development of lithium ion batteries in the world, sends the components to the Baterias Moura unit in Belo Jardim (PE), where the company has invested in a new pre-assembly area specifically for the system of lithium ion batteries. In addition, Baterias Moura has a space for the consolidation of the package at VWCO’s factory in Resende.
Siemens and ABB: infrastructure and chargers
In the e-Consórcio, Siemens and ABB will be responsible for providing the charging infrastructure at the customer. The companies have a complete portfolio of charging solutions and services that range from different stations with high energy capacity to intelligent and diversified solutions for refueling several vehicles in the same location.
The high power loaders are capable of feeding trucks from 24 to 150 kW depending on their configuration. They can even recharge multiple vehicles simultaneously. For the best choice, they will work together with VWCO in customer orientation.
GDSolar: clean energy supply
With 61 photovoltaic power generation plants installed in 14 Brazilian states, GDSolar is the new partner of Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus in the e-Consórcio to support customers with the supply of solar energy from a 100% renewable source.
The company arrives to complete the viability of the vehicle recharge chain, providing a complete solution for sustainable energy, solar energy generation, electricity grid, installations for customers and dealers and the vehicle charger.
WEG, Bosch and Meritor: components
WEG is a Brazilian multinational and in the e-Consórcio it is responsible for supplying the motor and traction inverter set. For e-Delivery, the company, together with VWCO Engineering, developed a customized solution for the application, work that ranged from defining the dimensional of the set, complying with standards, torque and power curves, in addition to developing a new software for controlling the frequency inverter meeting the most demanding automotive requirements.
The component supplied by Bosch is the vehicle control unit with a new technology with high processing power, being the vehicle’s brain and being responsible for the mobility functions in the electro-electronic architecture. In addition, the company provides embedded software solutions for vehicle electrification.
With a cross-functional team involving engineers from different countries such as Brazil, Germany, India, Austria and Vietnam, the company also nationalized the production of the vehicle’s control unit, helping the project not only with local content, but also with an agile and complete service for the customer.
In addition to already being a partner of the Modular Consortium, Meritor makes one more contribution: the supply of a new ECO - Electric Compatible shaft class developed for the application. Throughout the process, the company dedicated a team of engineers to support the tests and validations, ensuring its standard of quality and reliability.
Semcon: provision of engineering services
Semcon has the role of engineering services provider in the e-Consórcio, acting in the areas of prototype assembly, tooling, in addition to supporting product engineering and testing. In all, Semcon dedicated around 50 professionals involved in the activities and with diversified experience and training, such as mechanics, tool makers, analysts, product and test engineers, ensuring compliance with the project schedule.
Eletra: strategic partnership
Eletra, a Brazilian company that is a national and international reference in sustainable public transport, is a strategic partner in the e-Consórcio and, together with VW Caminhões e Ônibus, seeks new solutions for electromobility. The partnership provides for cooperation for the development of electrified vehicles.