France-based Forsee Power is sourcing very high energy density NMC cells to be integrated into its battery systems from Chinese battery cell manufacturer CALB. CALB is the first Forsee Power supplier to go through Forsee’s new due diligence process, including a third-party audit as the Group is strengthening its responsible procurement approach.

CALB is planning to grow its production capacities to 500 GWh by 2025. It specializes in cells for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

CALB is the first supplier of Forsee Power to be submitted to the third-party audit. In December 2022, Bureau Veritas ran an on-site ESG management audit of CALB, confirming high level of social, environmental and governance practices. Particular attention was placed on safety, material traceability as well as products’ carbon footprint calculation.

CALB announced the construction of its European gigafactory in Portugal, presenting a European sourcing opportunity for Forsee Power in the future.

Forsee also recently announced that it will equip German electrical systems supplier Kiepe Electric with the Forsee battery system on board a new Van Hool bi-articulated bus with a high level of service (BHLS) benefiting from an Alstom SRS conductive ground-based static fast charging system, in Île-de-France region in France.

Alstom’s SRS supplies power through a conductive device (rails or pads) embedded in the road or track surface at the bus or tram stop. When the vehicle is stationary over the device, a current collector shoe lowers automatically and makes contact to charge the battery.

The new buses will run on dedicated bus lanes for most of the route, ensuring a high frequency of service (one bus every 5 minutes during peak hours). To ensure flexibility and performance, both lines will be equipped with Alstom’s SRS.

Forsee Power was chosen by Kiepe Electric to equip the buses with smart battery systems, which can be recharged multiple times with high power at each end of the line for optimal operations. For detours, buses can also be recharged at bus stops provided for this purpose, with additional ground-based charging stations.

Designed specifically for this use, Forsee Power’s high-power batteries composed of LTO lithium-ion cells have been sized into a complete system adapted to very high-power charging needs with a long lifespan. In addition, they incorporate a very high level of security and meet all the required standards.

Each bus will be equipped with a FORSEE PULSE 15 battery system consisting of eleven parallel battery packs. The high-power battery system will charge in a few minutes only, allowing the bus to operate 24/7 in full autonomy, 365 days a year.